


A Sweetness Amongst Our Stars

by animalz_ovr_ppl26



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Confessions, Consensual Sex, Dirty Talk, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Miscarriage, Multi, Mutual Pining, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Polyamory, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pregnancy, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, References to Depression, Romance, Romantic Soulmates, Self-Esteem Issues, Sexual Abuse, Slow Burn, Smut, Soul Bond, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Steve Rogers Feels, Threesome - F/M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2020-12-21 07:16:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 122,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21071006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animalz_ovr_ppl26/pseuds/animalz_ovr_ppl26
Summary: Emmie is struggling with life at home when she unceremoniously moves to Bucharest to live with her Aunt and Uncle. After a few months and unbeknownst to her, she meets one of her soul mates and life as she knows it is turned upside down. This story follows Emmie as she maneuvers life with her soulmates in the wildly dangerous world that they live in.





	1. Chapter 1

**Chicago – Christmas, 2015**

“Auntie Yvonne! Merry Christmas!” I chided over the phone to my favorite aunt who lives in Bucharest.

“My Emmie! Merry Christmas to you as well my dearest. It is so wonderful to hear your voice again. How are you? Please give me all your new life updates. It has been a while since we last spoke.”

“Oh auntie, that might take a few hours, are you free?” I laughed as I joked with her, but also laughed at myself at how many new updates I have for her.

“For you, my dearest, I will make all the time in the world. Now tell me, what is on your mind this Christmas morning.”

“Alright…I am just going to lay it all out there because mom is already looking at me to steal the phone away to speak with you. First, Henry and I broke up. More like he dumped my ass and things ended on bad terms. So my love life is in shambles right now and every day I am trying not to cry every time someone brings him up. Second, I quite my job because after four years in the same position, I have still not been promoted and someone who is younger than me, has only been there for a year, and has less experience than me, got promoted. I am pretty sure she was sleeping with my supervisor, but still, I worked my ass off auntie! Why is life so unfair….wow ok sorry didn’t mean to raise my voice at you, I am obviously still pissed and affected by this bullshit at work. Ex-work. Whatever you call it. Third, Katie and I are no longer on speaking terms which means I no longer have a best friend and am friend-less and feel so alone here. I don’t wanna talk about it right now, it is still too difficult to speak about. Lastly, and most importantly, I feel like I need a change. Things just don’t feel right here in Chicago and I feel lost and I am not sure what to do, but what I do know is that I need a change of scenery and a change of pace with life. Finishing my masters was hell and I still have had no luck in finding a job and it has already been six months since graduation and I don’t know what is wrong with me and why I am getting overlooked with all these jobs I am getting interviews at. Mom is so over bearing right now and I can’t take their hovering and it is driving me up the fricken wall. What I am trying to say is….is your offer still on the table? Can I come over and spend some time with you and Marius for a few months? I’ve been thinking I want to help with your market stand and do some volunteering, travel on the weekends, get to live like a local. Please, please auntie? It’s all I can think about and-”

“Emmie! My dearest. Take a nice slow deep breath for me right now. I want you to go up to your room and sit down on your bed and start taking nice slow deep breaths for me. Are you walking upstairs right now?”

I nod my head but remember she can’t see me, so I pant out a yes. As I am walking upstairs, my mom gives me a glare and taps her finger on her left wrist telling me time is ticking before she steals the phone from me.

Yvonne responds with, “Good, now inhale for four counts, hold that for another four counts, and exhale for five counts. I want you to do that five times and then you can speak again.”

“Mhm…okay I can do that Auntie.”

I do the breathing exercise and finally feel my mind stop spinning and feel like I am grounded again. God bless my Aunt Yvonne, she always comes in clutch and knows what to do. She is my rock and my calming presence.

I finally have my bearings again so I start to speak, “Auntie, I am so sorry, I am a hot mess right now. Thank you for calming me down…but you never answered my question?”

I was so terrified of what she was going to say that I was holding my breath again waiting for her response.

“Emmie…are you holding your breath again? Are you trying to give yourself another anxiety attack? I just got you to calm down, now can you let that breath go please?”

I don’t know how my Auntie knows, but she seems to know everything, even over a trans-Atlantic phone call. I give a big, loud exhale and let go of all my worries at the same time.

“Emmie, my sweetness, never ever doubt that you are welcome here in Bucharest. That offer will stand for the rest of time. I love you with my whole heart and I would love it if you would spend a few months over here and spend some quality time with Marius and me. Marius adores you, you know that, and he will be thrilled when I tell him. When were you thinking of coming over?”

I threw my arms up and started punching the air silently in excitement once I heard her say the offer still stands. I begin to celebrate to myself that Auntie wants me in Bucharest. Someone wants me. I start to cry I am so overwhelmed with emotions.

I don’t even hear Auntie finish when I hear her speak again, “Emmie? You still there?”

I let out a small sob as tears roll down my cheeks before I start again, “Oh yes, sorry Auntie…I’m sorry, I am just so overwhelmed right now. A small part of me thought you were going to say no and that I would be isolated in this hell hole of a place all alone and I was terrified of it. Thank you thank you thank you so much. I am beyond grateful and excited. We will have such a good time. I will do whatever you need me to do around the house to help out and I promise to not be a burden or a nuisance. Wow this is happening. AHHHHHH!” I start to dance around my room in excitement as I can’t and won’t contain my happiness.

“You are my joy, my dearest, I am just as excited about this as you are. When are you planning on coming over? I need to start cleaning the house for your arrival and cleaning out a room for you. Oh my, how exciting, all the things I need to do to prepare for you!”

That’s when I suddenly hear a loud, irritated knock on my bedroom door.

“Amelia, are you almost finished? You have been speaking way too long to my sister, she will start to poison your mind with her irrational views. I need to say Merry Christmas to her to keep the peace. Hand me the phone right now so I can get it over with.” 

I groaned as I absolutely hate it when mom calls me by my real name. It makes me feel like I am stuck in the 30s or 40s or something…why did she pick such an old school name?!

I begin to whisper, “Auntie, mom is at the door, hold on a second…”

“I am not done talking to Auntie yet, give me two more minutes then you can speak to her,” as I raise my voice to my mom through the door.

“For fuck’s sake Amelia, we have guests downstairs, hurry the hell up. Your two minutes have already started so you better finish quickly or I am coming in there and grabbing that phone whether you like it or not.”

I raise my head to the ceiling and groan, thinking of how insufferable my mother is and how I cannot WAIT to leave this place and be in Bucharest.

“Auntie, did you hear all of that?”

“Yes, my sweetness. Don’t you worry about your mother, I will take care of her. Now, what are the dates you were thinking of?”

“Welllllllll, that’s the thing…I might have already booked the flights?”

My auntie chuckled loudly as she responded, “You clever girl you, when are you coming?”

“In 2 days…I leave on the 27th. You know tomorrow is Connor’s birthday and I didn’t want to leave him high and dry with mom so I booked it for after. I hope you aren’t mad…is that ok? I know it is such short notice. I can change it or cancel it all together to make it easier for you. Oh crap why don’t I do that, ugghhh-”

“Emmie, stop! 2 days is plenty of time for me to prepare. I think that is incredibly thoughtful of you to wait until after Connor’s birthday to leave. Does he know? And more importantly, does your mother know?”

“Connor knows and completely understands. He actually got into his study abroad program in London for this upcoming semester and he hasn’t told mom yet so he won’t be with her alone for much longer. Plus, now I can visit him when I travel to London. Win win for both of us. As for mom…I haven’t told her and I am scared. I was planning on telling her after the guests leave today so that she doesn’t make a scene in front of the entire neighborhood…you know how she is with wanting to always be the center of attention.”

“Sounds great, I will have to go with you to London when you visit Connor, it has been so long since I have seen your brother. I will soften the blow for you by planting the seed with your mother.”

“Alright! Your 2 minutes are up Amelia! Give me the phone NOW!” My mother screams at me as she bursts into my room to steal the phone.

I dodge her quickly to say my last few words to auntie, “Gotta go, I’ll send you my information, love you so much Auntie!”

“Emmie, my dearest, my sweet, tangy pineapple, I am counting down the minutes until I see you again. Travel safe my love.”

At that point, mom has grasped the phone and ripped it out of my hands with so much vigor she almost fell backwards. I had to hold back a chuckle so she wouldn’t retaliate.

I start to walk down the stairs back to the dreadful party that my mom puts on just for show, just to flaunt all the money she won from the divorce of step-dad number 2. I let out a massive sigh as I twirl the dainty pineapple pendant around my neck between my fingers. Ever since Auntie gave me this necklace when I was 8, I have never taken it off. I honestly feel like she blessed me with a good omen that has protected me and watched over me since then. My Auntie really is my good luck charm. I feel so relieved and hopeful that this new beginning will be just what I need.

**Later that evening**

“Hey mom, can we talk for a sec? I need to tell you something.”

“Amelia, make it quick, I have things to do.” She orders the housekeepers around to continue to clean up after the party.

“Well, as you know, things have been really tough lately with Henry and I breaking up and me losing Katie and the job not working out, so I wanted to run an idea by you.”

“I honestly still can’t believe you let Henry break things off, he was the perfect guy and he would have been able to provide for you and us. If only you didn't gain the weight, maybe he wouldn't have cheated on you and left.”

“Mom, seriously?! That is what you focus on?! You never even listened to why we broke up. It wasn’t even my fault. Ugh you know what, I am too old for this and don’t need to explain anything to you. I am 28 and can make my own decisions. I am moving to Bucharest to live with Auntie and Marius. I leave in 2 days and I bought a one-way ticket so I don’t know when I will be back. If I'll be back. There, I said it.” I breathed out a sigh of relief and my shoulders relaxed as I felt the weight of the world off my chest.

“I knew Yvonne had poisoned you with her crazy schemes and ideas. Fine, good riddance. You know what, maybe you’ll lose some weight. Maybe this trip will be good for you. Ooooo and you can get yourself a hot European boyfriend! And on second thought…I can spin this to make it sound like you’re doing some peace corps work there or something and brag about you to all my friends. Great idea Amelia, finally you do something useful.” My mom then walked upstairs into her bedroom to start her scheming.

I gaped at my mom and my jaw was slack as I couldn’t comprehend what she just said. I am in complete and utter shock. I’ve never heard her say yes to something so quickly. She once again had to bring up my weight, my most sensitive issue, and put more salt in the wound. She thinks life is all about being skinny and getting married, especially getting married to someone rich. And her trivial priorities are giving me more reason to move and be as far away as possible so I can stop being around these negative thoughts and develop a positive, healthy lifestyle. But of course she had to manipulate what is happening to benefit her, which I am not surprised about. I’ve never met someone more self-serving.

But like mom said…good riddance. This move is better for me than it is for her. I am going to make sure of that. I finally deserve to catch a good break and have the pieces fall into place. I am going to work to make sure I keep the negativity out of my life and focus on what makes me happy and how to get there. It's finally time to focus on myself.

**The Morning of the 27th**

As I stood in line to board the plane, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I’m sure I looked ridiculous to other passengers with this wide grin and blushing cheeks, but I didn’t care. I was too over zealous for this new change and it couldn’t come soon enough. Just a little over 12 hours and I’d be living my fresh start. This could not have come at a better time.

Even though I was sitting in a middle seat, my smile never faltered. I hadn’t seen Auntie and Marius in over five years. Facetime helped immensely but nothing compares to being there in person with your favorite people in the world. Auntie was that crazy, wild, free spirit of an aunt that traveled everywhere and had boyfriends wherever she went, but when she visited Bucharest and met Marius, her soul mate, 15 years ago, she decided to settle down and put down roots there with him. I have never seen her happier than when she met him. She still is. Marius is an angel and she found the jackpot with him. They never had children, and they weren’t the couple to ever have them, and she constantly reminds me she considers me her daughter in every possible way. She has been there for me through thick and thin and has always been my rock through the consistent family drama. 

All I had with me was my black Kate Spade backpack with my laptop, passport, phone, wallet, headphones, pillow, a few picture frames with my favorite photos, and a small carry on with some winter clothes to get me through a week. I decided that for this fresh start, I didn’t want to bring anything from this toxic world I have at home and only wanted to bring my essentials. I know that living with Auntie and Marius is a bit intimidating and a huge change but everything is going to work out the way it should. I just have this feeling that it will.

As the plane takes off, I rub my soul marks on both my wrists through my sweater as a way to comfort myself. I haven’t met them yet, and I’m terrified I never will. Most of my friends have met their soul mates and with each passing day, I worry more and more that my time will never come.

My soul marks are both of stars: one that is the same symbol as Captain America’s shield on my right wrist, and then a red star with a grey circle around it on my left. Having more than one soul mark was rare and it wasn't well regarded in the world. Auntie said that it was a blessing because I had enough love to give 2 people in the world and that is a privilege. I tend to agree with her and hopefully both of my soul mates will love me just as much as I already love them. Because when I love someone, I don't hold back. There is no point in not loving someone whole heartily. 

  


When I think of my soul mark on my right wrist, I never could fathom that my soul mate was Captain America and always just thought maybe it would be a die-hard fan of the Captain or something like that. I had no clue what the red star meant and thought that if I was potentially a soul mate of Captain America, this person must be equally as special. At least that’s what I hoped what would happen.

I stopped telling people that the mark on my right wrist was a soul mark because I would always get the most insane, rude, and disgusted looks when I mentioned that my soul mate could potentially be the Captain. From then on, I always tried to cover my soul marks or played it off as a tattoo so I wouldn't be judged more than I am. Summers always sucked for that reason. 

  


My mind began to wonder on the same anxieties I had about my soul mates. Why would Captain America be paired with me? A simple, weird girl from Chicago with major baggage? Why would Captain America ever want to be with me even if we ever did meet? All of these insecurities circled my mind every day. I mean, look at the man, with that Adonis like body, that genuine sheepish smile, those dazzling bright blue eyes, and cheek bones and a jaw line sharp enough that could cut through anything. Is it silly that I imagined these things every day? That all I wanted was to be held in his big strong arms and look up into those perfect eyes of his and feel like I was safe and at home with him? I shake my head at the last thought and giggle at how ridiculous my imagination can get sometimes. I’ll keep those thoughts to myself and in my fantasies…something had to get me through these dry spells.

Even if one of my soul mates wasn’t Captain America, I just hoped I would meet this person soon. All I have ever wanted is to be loved and accepted for who I am, whoever that is, as I am still trying to figure that out. I have never felt accepted, even within my own family. I’ve had bigger dreams than just staying in Chicago and becoming a housewife. Hopefully my soul mates, if I ever meet them, will help me become the woman I am supposed to be.

But first, all I want is to be reunited with my Auntie. She knows of both my soul marks and thinks Captain America is one of my lucky soul mates, as she so nicely puts it. She will give me the clarity I need on this, and on life in general. And with these thoughts, I drift off to sleep while the plane takes me to my fresh start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I am excited to go on this journey with you lovelies. This is my first fic so please be kind :) I am hoping to update regularly so will be writing frequently. I'd love any comments along the way!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life in Bucharest so far for Emmie

**Bucharest – February 2016**

I honestly never would have thought that my time in Bucharest would surpass my expectations. More like blow them out of the water. I can’t pick my favorite part because all of it is my favorite. Actually, my most favorite part is spending time with Auntie and Marius but everything is absolutely wonderful.

Auntie’s apartment fits her personality to a tee. It emanates the rustic boho look perfectly. The apartment is warm, inviting, cozy, and it feels like home. In the past six weeks, Romania has become my new home and I could not be happier. Auntie has helped me turn her guest bedroom into my little haven of a bedroom. My full-sized bed fits snugly in the corner with my plush and thick lavender colored comforter and 8 pillows (we both have a small obsession with pillows). This woman even knit me a blanket for the new year and gosh, do I love her so much. I can’t fall asleep without it now. She also made me a dream catcher that I hang above my bed and she has helped fill my room with precious little house plants. I have always loved flowers and plants so this addition makes me room feel even more homey.

My days so far have consisted of lots of bonding with Auntie. She doesn’t have a full-time job but does lots of things to fill her day. We go on daily walks around town and she educates me about the history of Bucharest while also showing me her favorite places for coffee, restaurants, shops, and parks. I have loved being outdoors with her and getting the feel of this new city. She has also been teaching me how to cook, even some local dishes, and we cook almost everyday together. I wasn’t a cook at all to begin with, but now I can proudly say that I know my way around a kitchen. I’ve learned I love to bake more though, and no one seems to be complaining.

Marius is an elementary school teacher, so he works during the day and when he gets back at night, he loves taking me to his favorite bars a few nights a week to hang out. He loves to steal me away from Auntie when he can, he claims she hogs me too much. Marius is like a father to me and I am so grateful he has taken me in with open arms like Auntie has.  


Marius has also helped me start a bit of a passion project. Once school started up after the holidays, he connected me with some of his colleagues at his school to help start an after-school program. In this program, I have created activities, games, and projects for the kids. These consist of art and DIY projects, board games, movie days, and soccer matches. The kids love to play soccer the most but also teach me the new hip slang and more important phrases in Romanian. They tease me for my accent and poor pronunciation, but once they notice I bring in cookies or brownies to taste test, they can’t seem to say anything but nice things. Funny how sweet treats can easily change a mood. These few hours in the afternoon fill my heart with so much love and make my days so worthwhile. Marius has even said the kids seem happier the next day in the morning than they used to before I started the after-school program. The kids have really grown on me and they have grown equally attached to me as well.

Not only does Marius teach, but he also runs the best coffee stand in town. He works there before school starts every day. He claims it helps him prepare for the balls of energy for the remainder of the day. His coffee stand sits at the local farmers market, but anyone who is anyone goes out of their way to get their coffee from Marius. He is one of the most jovial people I have ever met, and he knows all of his regulars by name. They all have a small talk each morning about the day ahead and share any exciting gossip. If you want the scoop on anything happening around town, Marius knows about it. He has this aura that just makes you want to share details of your life with him. He is such an amazing conversationalist and listener. When we talk, I feel like he understands me without me having to explain much. I love our deep talks.

Auntie also has her own stand at the farmers market, and it is conveniently located only a few stands down from Marius. They own some land not too far out of town where they grow some produce and she loves it. Auntie says that growing food for the community makes her feel very maternal and like she is taking care of her neighborhood, her family. She is also helping me perfect some recipes so I can start selling some baked goods at her farm stand!

Opening day to the farmers market is coming up in two weeks on the first of March and I am so excited to help Auntie run the produce stand. Marius has been helping me learn some Romanian phrases that will be useful at the stand and that way I can help out Auntie a bit more. I am getting nervous about speaking more with the locals and not sounding authentic but Marius has assured me that my accent is passable and people will appreciate me trying to speak the native language. From walking around with Auntie and going to the bars with Marius, I have met a lot of their friends and neighbors so at least I know some friendly faces when they stop by the stand.

Since I have been here, I have visited Connor in London. Auntie came with me and we had a celebratory welcome weekend with him. It is now one of my favorite weekends to date. I am so in love with London, and I think a part of it is because lots of it remind me of Chicago, from the history, to the diverse cultures, and the hustle and bustle of a large metropolitan city. It was also one of the first weekends where Connor and I were together that mom wasn’t a part of. It was precisely what we needed. Mom can be equally hard on Connor sometimes, so we bond through our shared misery. He is loving his time in London so far and we Facetime every few days to check in. Somehow this distance has brought us closer together and I am really grateful.

Even though things have been going so well here, I have been a tad homesick and I am still dealing with my breakup with Henry and losing Katie. Those things don’t just heal overnight. I mean, Henry and I dated for almost three years. We went through so much shit together and I thought we were going to get engaged soon (he hadn’t found his soul mate either). When I found him in bed with Katie one night, I lost it. I screamed at the top of my lungs and went on a rampage. I destroyed everything in his room and in his apartment. I was filled with so much rage that I eventually broke down in sobs and fell to the floor in his kitchen. Katie ended up calling Connor who came over and took me home. Henry and Katie didn’t even try to apologize. Henry blamed me for him cheating with Katie because I had become a fat bore and Katie said it was my own fault that I couldn’t keep my man happy. I’ve been at a loss with processing this. But Auntie has given me some good perspective. Once a cheater, always a cheater. If I stayed with Henry, he would be likely to cheat again and I’ve learned that I don’t deserve that anymore.

I later found out through the grapevine via my mom, because she was still talking with Henry’s mom, that he had been seeing Katie behind my back for months before I caught them. I have never felt so betrayed in my life. I thought your best and closest friend would never do anything like that. They weren’t even soul mates for crying out loud! Maybe later down the road I can forgive both of them but right now, I am still too deeply hurt to even talk or face them about what happened. Being on a different continent has helped in that regard. Luckily, the passion project at Marius’s school has distracted me so well from my issues that I have started to move on slowly. It is funny though because Marius has tried and epically failed to play match maker for me. He knows some of the local boys my age and thought they would be good matches, but I turned them all down. I am in no place to date right now. Auntie was smart enough to know to not set me up with anyone, our heart-to-hearts were so candid and heartfelt that she knew I was still in a lot of pain to be able to start opening up to someone again.

Two weeks go by and my routine stays the same. It is the night before the farmers market opens and I am baking cookies and pastries for the morning while Auntie and Marius talk about the logistics of the morning. I zone out while they go over more details. I’m thinking about how much my life has changed and how much I’ve grown with taking control of what I want out of life. But a part of me is still struggling with how I got dumped, cheated on, and pushed out of my own home. It breaks my heart thinking of all of this and my eyes start to get misty while I roll out balls of dough for the cookies.

Auntie can tell something is wrong because I’ve been really quiet all evening when I’m usually much livelier. She softly approaches me and wraps her arm around my shoulders and gently says, “My sweetness, I can tell something is on your mind. What is bothering you so much?”

With this small, tender moment of compassion, I break. I start sobbing in my Auntie’s arms. She pulls me tighter into her arms and I snuggle into her chest and just cry. I feel Marius come over and start rubbing my back. For a moment I feel ridiculous because a 28-year-old needs to be consoled like a child but I honestly don’t care. Auntie just wants to support and love me in whatever way I need and it is why I can always lean on her for anything.

I have been bottling up these emotions since I got here and it just all exploded. Nothing caused this outburst. It was just my mind constantly over analyzing things and still trying to process what has happened. My depression can get the better of me in vulnerable moments. I hate this feeling, so feeling so hopeless and sad. So much changed right before Christmas and I feel like my heart is final catching up with my mind.

Auntie pulls me away from her chest and rubs her thumbs under my eyes to catch a few tears once I had calmed down enough. She sits me down on the couch next to her while Marius sits on the loveseat across from us.

She takes my right hand as I sit against the back of the couch and look up to the ceiling as I collect myself.

“Darling, it is hurting your Aunt and me right now to see you like this. We want nothing more than to help and comfort you but we need to know what is going on so we can do that. Can you tell us what is going on please?” Marius gently explains as he sits forward on the loveseat, rests his elbows on his knees and puts his palms together as he looks at me with boundless amounts of love in his eyes. Gosh he is the sweetest.

I nod my head slowly while I take a deep breath to steady myself.

“I don’t think I have truly processed everything that has happened in the past few months and the sudden change of moving to a new country, I think I’m overwhelmed. I got cheated on and dumped. My supposed best friend slept with my long-term boyfriend. I can’t get Henry’s and Katie’s words out of my head and it makes me so angry how their words still affect me. I can’t seem to move past it because I believe what they said about me. My mom basically called me useless if I am not skinny and not with someone rich. She wanted me out of the house when I brought up seeing you. I quit my job because I was consistently getting over looked by younger and less experienced girls. I have a new home on a different continent. I don’t have a solid job lined up and I don’t know what I am supposed to do anymore. I don’t know what my purpose is. And I’m terrified beyond compare of being alone and not finding my soulmates. I want to meet them so badly. And I’m petrified of never being loved. All of this uncertainty is frightening and the unknown of what can happen is paralyzing. All I want right now is to feel some semblance of control in my life because it doesn’t feel like I have any.”

I didn’t notice that by the end I was crying again but I feel so relieved to get all of that off my chest.

Marius comes over to the couch and he and Auntie wrap me in the tight hug.

Auntie pulls away first to speak with so much love in her eyes and conviction in her voice, “My sweetness, I had a small idea you were struggling inside but didn’t know it was that bad. Thank you for sharing that with us. I’m so sorry you are hurting. Just know that we both are here for you for whatever you need. Please don’t ever forget that.”

While Auntie is speaking, Marius is rubbing my back and is nodding along and agreeing with her words. When Auntie finishes, Marius chimes in, “Everything Yvonne says is true my darling. We will help you with whatever you need, we love you endlessly. We know you have had a hard time as of late. So I will pose a question for you. One that I ask any students who are having a bad day and need some encouragement. What can we do to make you feel more loved and supported right now?”

Gosh this man is so thoughtful, wow. I’ve never been asked that question before and it makes me cry a little more.

“Oh darling, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Marius says as he pulls me into a side hug.

“These aren’t sad tears, promise. I am overwhelmed by the love from you 2 right now and it’s just coming out as tears. How you’re reacting now is showing me that everything will be okay and at the end of the day, I will have you guys, which is really comforting.”

Auntie follows up with, “My sweetness, you are absolutely right. We will always, always be there for you. We will always love you too, so don’t think no one loves you. We know everything you have been through during your childhood and the past few years and you know what? You are one of the strongest people I know. Much stronger than you give yourself credit before. You are so driven and ambitious and capable of anything you set your mind to. You don’t have to accomplish all of your goals at once, that’s what you have you entire for! If you got all your goals accomplished now, the rest of your life might be a tad boring, right? My sweet girl, you are still so young and you have your entire life ahead of you. You’ve accomplished so much at such a young age and you’ve spent your 20s preparing you for your future and now that it is here and you’re done with school forever, I think you’re out of your element. Being out of your element is where the most growth happens. Take everything day by day and I want you to start noticing what makes you smile every day and hold onto that. Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans. You’ve spent your life planning for the next step and next phase and you don’t have to plan anymore. You get to live life and that is so exciting! And about the soulmate situation, I didn’t meet Marius until I was 40. Put focus on yourself and let’s stop comparing your journey with someone else’s. Your soulmates will love you at any size so screw what your mom said. And you have lots of time to find them and have babies and have a life together. And I have a really good feeling that future is in the cards for you. But if it isn’t, we will be there for you to figure it all out.”

I pull Auntie into a bone crushing hug. She always knows what to say at the right time. I can always rely on her.

I pull away after a minute and look at both of them, “Thank you Auntie and Marius. I don’t know what I would do without you 2. Seriously.”

Marius adds, “You would be the strong, brave, independent, intelligent, beautiful, and compassionate woman we are sitting with right now who would figure it all out and still accomplish all her dreams. Stop selling yourself short darling.”

I take Marius’s hand and give it a tight, quick squeeze in thanks for his kind words.

Auntie stands up, claps her hands together, and says with a genuine smile, “Alright, enough tears for tonight. Let’s put on some happy music, dance, sing, and continue making those cookies for the farm stand tomorrow! It is a big day. The first day crowd is always chaotic. Plus, we need to wake up early to go to the farm and pick out the produce. And, we need to practice a few more phrases with you so you’re comfortable with the locals...”

Auntie walks into the kitchen as she continues to ramble and make plans for tomorrow.

I ask Marius as I softly giggle, “Is she always like this?”

“No, it is just with the farm stand. It is one of her pride and joys. Her passion project like the after-school program is to you. Many people in the neighborhood come to rely on our stand and she takes great responsibility in that. She loves taking care of others, you know that. And over the years, people come to talk with her and hang out while they shop. She is just a big social butterfly in that environment. I’m so happy you are joining us this farm stand season. I think you will enjoy it.”

“It sounds like I will,” as I shyly smile to him.

Marius stands up and joins his wife in the kitchen. I take another minute on the couch to gather my thoughts. They are right, everything is going to work out. There is no need to rush anything right now and I need to savor these simple, beautiful moments. Like Auntie said, I am going to focus on the things that make me smile and hold onto those feelings. That is my main goal tomorrow. To smile.

With a renewed confidence, I dance my way into the kitchen as I hear one of favorite songs play from the speakers. I start to sing along with Auntie as we finish the cookies and I feel calm about what is all to come.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emmie meets someone handsome at the farmers market

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parts of this chapter are spoken in Romanian. I just got it off Google translate so I'm sorry if it is wrong. I added the translations in the text.  
Thanks for understanding!

**Bucharest – March 1, 2016**

“Buna dimineata James”, (Good morning James) Marius smiles at one of his most loyal customers for the past year.

“Buna dimineata Marius,” (Good morning Marius) James responds with a shy smile.

“De obicei astăzi?” (The usual today?)

“Da, multumesc.” (Yes, thank you.)

Marius works to prepare James’s coffee. James likes his coffee strong with 1 cream and 2 sugars.

As Marius hands James his coffee he says, “Asigurați-vă că azi salut soției mele. Adora sa te vada. ea vă va prezenta nepoatei noastre care rămâne cu noi. Vă rog, vorbiți în limba română, ea practică. Vreau să aud cum face mâine. Au o zi grozavă James.” (Make sure to say hello to my wife today. She loves seeing you. She will introduce you to our niece who is staying with us. Please speak in Romanian, she is practicing. I want to hear how she does. Have a great day James.) Marius adds a wink at the end for good measure.

James responds with a chuckle, “O sa va multumesc pentru cafea.” (I will, thank you for the coffee.)

James steps away from the coffee stand and makes his way over to Yvonne’s stand. Marius and Yvonne have been some of the nicest people James has met since he has been in Bucharest. They are much more perceptive people than the average person. Maybe that’s why he likes talking to them.

What Emmie didn’t know is that Marius was still trying to play match maker and had waited until today for her to meet James on her own. James was a nice gentleman he had gotten to know over the past year and he thought James would be a great fit for Emmie once he learned Emmie was single again and was moving to Bucharest. He wanted an organic meeting between the 2 to see if there was a connection. Marius stopped serving his next customer as James approached Yvonne’s farm stand and he pointed to James and Yvonne and told his customers to watch a potential love connection blossom with his niece. They all watched closely as his friends had become fond of Emmie.

Yvonne saw James and excitedly said, “James! Mă bucur că ai făcut-o azi dimineață. Cum ești?” (James! I’m glad you made it this morning. How are you?)

James responded with a small smile, “Sunt bine multumesc. Marius a spus ca nepoata ta este aici?” (I’m good thank you. Marius said your niece is here?)

Yvonne closed her eyes as she chuckled quietly to herself. She looked over to Marius at his coffee stand and he gave her 2 thumbs up, while the next 3 people in line were watching the exchange expectantly and making bets on what was going to happen. Yvonne thought, what the hell, and decided to go along with what Marius was doing.

Yvonne responded, “Da, nepoata mea Emmie! S-a mutat cu noi după Crăciun. Trebuie să o întâlnești. Emmie! Am nevoie de tine in fata!” (Yes, my niece Emmie! She moved in with us after Christmas. You must meet her. Emmie! I need you out front!)

~~

“Emmie! I need you out front!” I heard Auntie call for me from the stand as I am grabbing produce from the truck.

I grab as much as I can so I only have to make one trip to the front. I am barely holding it together when I stand next to Auntie.

“Yes Auntie? Need something?”

“Yes, my sweetness, I do, can you help one of my most loyal customers James here? And make sure to speak Romanian, you need to practice.” Yvonne thinks what Emmie doesn’t know won’t hurt her. James speaks both perfect Romanian and English but this will add for dramatic effect. Marius had mentioned once that he thought James would be a good match for her, and Yvonne had to agree.

I nod in consent to Auntie. This will be my first Romanian conversation this morning. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and let out a shaky breath. Here goes nothing.

“Emmie, I’d like you to meet James, a friend of Marius and mine. James, this is my beloved niece Emmie,” Yvonne sweetly introduces me to James. I take an initial look at him and my heart stops.

I stop in my tracks and forget to breathe and drop all the produce that are in my hands onto the ground. I don’t even care either. Never in my life have I seen a more beautiful man. We make eye contact and I hold my breath longer. I am immediately entranced by his beauty. He stands tall, at least 6 feet, with these gorgeous cerulean eyes that are surrounded by his shoulder length chestnut brown hair, he has a small stubble growing on his face, has massively broad shoulders with bulging arms hanging to the side and a strong looking puffy chest. I rack over the rest of his body and notice his is the shape of a V where it becomes slightly slimmer at this waist and he stands on thick strong thighs. I come back up to his face and notice a small blush on his cheeks. His mouth is gaped a little as he gazes back at me. Fuck I probably just ruined the moment. I’m being so obvious! Why can’t I ever be subtle?!

I finally feel Auntie nudge me out of my trance as I look to my right up at her and she says, “Emmie? Relax dear. James is very nice, he won’t bite.” She winks back down at me and I blush profusely at her antics.

I let go of my breath and take another to further calm down. I turn back to James and make eye contact with him again. I could stare into his eyes all day and be perfectly fine, gosh they are beautiful. I shake off my nerves quickly before I chicken out and awkwardly wave to James as I shrink back a little, blush even more and say, “Buna sunt Emmie. Îmi place să te cunosc.” (Hi I’m Emmie. Nice to meet you James.)

Without realizing it, Auntie had slipped behind the stand to watch the rest unfold and left me alone with James.

I wait a few more beats and James still doesn’t respond so I got ahead again, “Pot să vă aduc ceva astăzi?” (Can I get you anything today?)

James is still staring at me and I can’t tell what his face is conveying until out of nowhere he says, “Ești cea mai frumoasă femeie pe care am văzut-o vreodată.” (You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen).

Auntie perks up at this and finds Marius out of the crowd and gives him a large smile and a thumbs up. This just got very interesting, she thinks.

“Uh, uh, I’m sorry I don’t know what you just said. I’m still learning Romanian. And you probably don’t know what I’m saying because you most likely don’t know English. Fuck! Shit! And now you probably think I am crazy because I can’t stop blabbing and I am talking with my hands like a weirdo. Auntie?!” I look around in a panic and she is nowhere in sight.

I turn back to James and say, “Un minut,” (1 minute) as I hold up 1 finger and rush behind the stand to where the truck is to find Auntie grabbing some produce.

I rush to her side and grab her arm in panic and start blabbering and pacing in front of her with my bugged out eyes, “Auntie, help! I don’t know what James said and he is waiting for me out front and he is the most beautiful man in the existence of men and I don’t know how to talk to him! What do I say?! Can you help me please? Was it obvious I was checking him out? Please tell me it wasn’t too obvious. Gosh Auntie he is so friggin beautiful I can’t handle it!”

Auntie approaches me and puts her hands on my shoulders as she starts, “Emmie! Woah there. Take 3 deep breaths for me. I need you to breathe and calm down before we talk.”

I do as she says. I am no doubt rattled. I start again after I'm calm.

“Auntie, did you by chance hear what James said?

Yvonne decides not to spill the beans yet. “Yes dear, he just asked for his usual order. Potatoes, beans, and peppers.”

Man, how did I miss that? We practiced those words. Maybe because I was distracted by how perfect he is. Gotta work on that.

“Thanks so much Auntie! You’re a life saver per usual. I can go get those for him.”

I walk back out front and luckily James is still standing there. I brace myself as I try Romanian again.

“Mătușa mea a spus de obicei. Da?” (My aunt said the usual. Yes?) I ask James shakily.

James figures out Yvonne just covered for him. He knew she heard him from behind the stand. He will have to thank her. James makes eye contact with me and smiles genuinely, “Desăvârşit” (Perfect).

I knew that word! I giggle to myself knowing and gather all the produce together for James. He hands me over the correct change.

Auntie walks back out front right when I hand James the produce.

She looks between the both of us and smiles. “How did she do James?”

James smirks back at me as he responds, “She was great. Accent can use a little work though.”

My eyes go wide and I stop moving. “Uh ummmm come again? You speak English now?”

Auntie starts to laugh at me when I realize, “Oh you introduced us in English…wow I’m a fool. And I went on that wild rant in front of you and you understood every single word and now I am officially embarrassed.” I try to hide my face from James.

He responds rather quickly with a shy smile, “It’s alright doll, it was cute.”

Doll? Did I hear that right? Who says doll these days? Meh, it is kinda endearing. I think I like it now. Yeah, I like it. Especially when he says it.

James clears his throat and quickly recovers, “Well, thanks again. I’ll be back soon. Have a good day.” James nods and starts to move away. But I didn’t want him to leave yet. He makes me smile. Fuck he made me smile today. Well there are worse things. Ok think, think! How do I make him stay for a little while longer.

“James, wait!” I called after him. I go to grab a small bag of 3 cookies. “I, uh…I made these. They are my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Take some please.”

He is looking at me with so much warmth I don’t know how to process it. He nods and starts to reach for some change but I interject with a shy smile, “It’s on the house.” With that I reach my right hand over the counter to hand him the cookies and my right sleeve and jacket rise up my arm. I don’t realize what is happening until I see his face change, with his eye brows pinched together, his head tilted to the left, and his mouth slightly open. I look down to follow his gaze and see what he is staring at. My soul mark. Damn it! He saw my soul mark. It is vulnerable to the entire crowd in front of me. I grimace and pull my hand back so I can yank down my sleeve and jacket to cover it back up. I switch the cookies to my left hand and make sure my sleeves won’t ride up again before I reach my left hand out to him. He still looks stunned and deep in thought when I hand him the cookies again. So I shake my hand again while I look down at my chest, “Here, just take them.”

He takes a moment to collect himself and clears his throat. He takes the cookies and whispers, “Thank you.”

I can feel the tears building up in my eyes so the second the cookies leave my hand, I swiftly move behind the stand where the truck is, leaving James there alone.

The second I see Auntie and we make eye contact, I break. Tears start falling down my cheeks and I let out a small, quiet sob. Things were going kinda well with James and I felt this immense pull towards him but then he had to react to seeing my soul mark on my right wrist. I know I should be used to people reacting that way to my soul marks but honestly, it hurt the most from him for some odd reason.

Auntie gathers me in her arms when she sees me and holds me tight. I just continue to cry in her arms. She knows why. Auntie pats my hair as she coos, “It’ll be alright, my sweetness. I promise everything will be alright. James is actually a sweet soul, I don’t think he meant it that way.” I shake my head no in denial. Auntie pets my hair again as she places a kiss to my temple, “I know my sweet girl, I know. We will get through this.” I sink further into her arms as I cry. Why can’t I just find my soulmates already?

Yvonne’s heart broke as she watched the entire scene unravel. She knew her niece is still very sensitive about people seeing her soul marks. She didn’t blame her. But Yvonne swore she saw more shock and recognition rather than disgust. She will have to talk to James about it later.

It takes him a solid 30 seconds to come to terms with what he just saw. Did he just see Steve’s shield on her wrist? Before he steps away, he sees your shoulders shaking and Yvonne holding you tightly while she runs one hand through your hair. James feels even worse for having hurt you like that, he just couldn’t believe he saw that mark on your wrist. She tried to hide it so quickly that he doubts it is a tattoo. Is she embarrassed of it? He has a lot to think about. With that, he starts to stealthily make his way back home.

~~

When James got home, he placed the produce down before he started pacing. He runs his hands nervously through his hair as he tries to process what just happened. If he thinks he saw what he thinks he saw, then things just got a whole lot more interesting. It explains how he was so drawn to her. Is drawn to her. Just thinking of her actually starts to help him calm down. He remembers how flustered you were and how cute you were when you panicked. He’s grateful you didn’t understand his confession. He’s not sure if he could come back from that.

Your words are on repeat in his mind "_he is the most beautiful man in the existence of men_" and "_he is so friggin beautiful I can’t handle it_". He overheard you when you ran back behind the stand and he couldn't breath. It's not like you were quiet or anything. But someone like you thought he was beautiful? What has the world come to. Maybe there is hope. And on top of it, you are sweeter than candy. A spitfire of sweetness. He begins to smile at your foul mouth. He laughs at how you have no filter and it makes him like you even more.

He pulls the cookies out of his front pocket. He looks down at them like they were a god given gift. She showed him such kindness with such a simple gesture. He finds it so endearing how she rushed to hand him the cookies before he left. And of course they were chocolate chip. His favorite.

James pulls one cookie out of the bag and looks at it with interest. It has some other different chips in it, some darker browns and white. He takes a bite and immediately moans loudly. God these cookies were the best he ever had. And he could tell they were fresh. The other flavors he was tasting were milk and white chocolate chips, mixed with the original semi-sweet chocolate chips. He will have to give his compliments to the chef. Baker. Yeah, baker.

He licks his fingers has he finishes off the first cookie. He looks at the remaining 2 cookies and sighs. He wants to save them but they are too good not to eat right now. James savors every bite. Hopefully she has more when he stops by the stand next. He needs more of his new favorite cookies. It’ll give him a chance to redeem himself too.

When he goes to sleep that night, he finds himself more hopeful than he usually is. He feels like there is a light through all of his darkness and he hopes he isn’t reading too much into what he saw today. He smiles once more as he thinks of you and your gorgeous, bright, smiling face.

~~

Yvonne makes her way to her room where Marius is already in bed reading a book.

Marius looks up at Yvonne with a concerned look, “So you want to tell me why Emmie was sad, didn’t talk to us, or didn’t eat her dinner tonight?”

Yvonne sighs as she starts to change into her pjs. “Emmie was so sweet and she gave James a few of her cookies for free. When she reached out to hand them over, her sleeve rode up and showed her soul mark on her right wrist. James was completely shocked but she took it as disdain. She broke down after that. I can tell she has been in her head ever since.”

Marius pinches the bridge of his nose as he lets out an exasperated breath. “That girl cannot catch a break. My customers couldn’t stop talking how sweet her reaction was to seeing James for the first time. I know there is something there.”

"Oh there is definitely something there. He said she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen."

"And that is why you gave me that thumbs up from behind the stand."

"Nothing gets past you my dearest. I know you saw her drop all the produce when she saw him. I swear I had to keep myself from giggling out loud."

"I knew they would be a good match!"

Yvonne nods her head in agreement as she climbs into bed. She lays down on her side and faces Marius. She wraps her arm around his waist as he scoots closer to her.

“Marius…” Yvonne wiggles her eye brows at him.

“Oh no, I know that look. What at you scheming now?”

“James’s birthday is coming up on the 10th. Let’s have him over for dinner. I’ll plant the seed the next time he stops by the stand.”

Marius chuckles heartily, “I don’t know how you do it,” and he kisses her forehead.

Yvonne just hopes that Emmie won’t be mad.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emmie has a vulnerable and sweet moment when she sees James again

The first thing I notice when I wake up the next morning is that my body is so fatigued. Everything hurts. I can’t even move anything without pain shooting through my body. I take a big inhale while I attempt to stretch but immediately regret that decision and curl back up into a fetal position.

I feel like shit. I would not have guessed my body would be this sore after one day of the farmers market. I am not ready for an entire season of this. Not only was I physically exhausted, but I was emotionally drained. My body ached everywhere, from picking up produce, walking around, and standing for more than half the day. My brain was fried from speaking so much Romanian and then my mind would not stop spinning about the interaction with James.

I was a complete and utter butthead to James and he didn’t deserve it. Who has a meltdown like that anymore? I acted like a total 5-year-old and I took it out on him. It is so embarrassing thinking back on it and I cringe at the thought of having to face James again. I need to find a way to apologize and make it up to him.

The second thing I notice is that the house is unusually quiet. Most mornings, I can hear Auntie and Marius moving about while they get ready in the morning but there is none of that.

I finally crack one eye open slowly as I adjust to the bright light coming through my blinds. Wait, why is it so bright right now? Then I remember how an alarm didn’t wake me up this morning.

I pat around the bed searching for my phone when I feel the cool sleek shape. I glance at the home screen for the time.

10:18am

_10:18am?!_

I groan and then sigh as I curl the blankets further up my body right under my chin.

All of it is starting to make more sense now. Auntie and Marius weren’t making noise because they are at the farm stand and at school. The sun is brighter because it is later in the morning. I shake my head at this and doze off for another 30 minutes.

When I wake again, I decide to text Auntie.

E: 10:51am – _Morning Auntie! Just waking up. Wanted to check in. Why didn’t you wake me this morning?_

A: 10:55am – _Morning my sweetness! We wanted to let you sleep, you had quite a day yesterday __😊_

E: 10:57am – _I did, didn’t I…well do you need some help today? I feel bad I’ve left you alone all morning_

I was secretly hoping Auntie didn’t need my help because I am not entirely sure my body would allow me to get out of bed.

A: 11:01am – _I’ve done this for years on my own, don’t you worry about me __😉 You stay home for today and rest. I’ll be home mid-afternoon._

Phew! Dodged a bullet there. God bless this woman.

E: 11:02am – _Sounds good Auntie. Love you! Xoxo_

A: 11:03am - <3 <3 <3

I lock my phone and place it on my nightstand. I slowly but surely crawl my way out of the covers and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I finally get to standing and it feels like my legs are jello.

I can’t start my day without my tea so I head into the kitchen to start boiling some water. I pull out some green tea bags and also some magnesium pills for my sore muscles.

As the water is boiling, I look outside into the city. Even though there are lots of people moving about and my body aches, I feel very at peace. Not sure why, but things are feeling calm for the first time in a while.

But my little breakdown about my soul mark was a bit drastic. It’s given me some perspective on how good things have been here in Bucharest.

I have a roof over my head, food to eat at every meal, the love and support of my favorite people ever, I am working at the farm stand, and I have a passion project at the school. All of these wonderful new things in my life are such blessings. Doesn’t hurt that I met the most beautiful man ever yesterday. That should help. Now I am smiling just thinking of him. Fuck I am in trouble…

After I get myself settled with my tea, I go back to bed with my laptop and curl up again with Hulu pulled up. Brooklyn 99 is my go-to show. It always makes me laugh no matter what mood I am in.

I sip my tea as I get through several episodes. I ignore how much time passes until I hear the front door open and close, with feet shuffling about.

I call out, “Auntie?”

I hear someone approach my slightly ajar door and then see her hand push the door farther open to where she stands in the middle of the door.

“How are you feeling my sweetness?”

I pause the episode. “I’m alright. The tea and magnesium have helped. Just feel drained. I honestly have no clue how you do it every day Auntie.”

Auntie chuckles as she moves towards my bed and then sits down on the edge while I shift so I am laying on my right side facing her. She places her hand on my side and starts to softly rub up and down in a soothing motion.

“It comes with years of experience.”

“How did it go today by the way.”

“It went well, not as busy as the first day. A certain someone stopped by again and asked about you.” Auntie wiggled her eyebrows in teasing.

I pulled the blanket over my face while I blushed. “Ugh nooooooo. I was so embarrassing yesterday. I can’t believe I cried at the market. On the first day no less. I’m some employee Auntie.” I replied with dripping sarcasm at the end.

Auntie really laughs this time and tips her head backwards. She can’t hold it in and I join along with her laughter.

“I will say, my sweet girl, I’ve never had someone so tuckered out after the first day. But, yesterday was the busiest first day I’ve ever had so I’ll cut you some slack. But really, sweetie, James seems quite taken by you.”

“Auntiiiieeeeeee.”

“I’m serious, he asked me if you were okay because you weren’t working the stand and I covered for you. Said you had some errands to run for me today. Not sure if he bought it but it will tide him over until tomorrow. Are you going to be ready to come back tomorrow?”

I stare at my blanket and take a moment to process what Auntie just said. He was asking if I was okay? Like he was concerned about me? Why though? We met for like 5 seconds…but it is sweet that he asked about me. I was thinking about him earlier so I guess it is even. I smile to myself that he thought of me too.

I look back up at Auntie and smile, “Wouldn’t miss it.” 

“It’ll be good to have you back. He also wanted me to pass along his compliments to the baker.” Auntie gives me a smirk.

I perk up at this, “He likes my cookies?!”

“Oh, my sweetness, does he ever. He couldn’t stop raving about them. Said something like it was one of the best cookies he’s ever had.”

I smile broadly and have a light bulb moment. I’ll bake him a batch of cookies to make up for yesterday. Best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach right? I’m going with that. He won’t turn down cookies. No one turns down cookies, especially cookies from scratch.

“Oh I know that look, what are you planning Emmie?”

“Auntie, do we still have cookie supplies?”

“Oh yes, plenty. Could make several batches. Why, are you going to bake today?”

“Yeah, I was thinking my cookies would be a peace offering to him since I was a bit rude to him yesterday. Think that’ll work?”

“I’m sure of it. That is very kind of you. Well better get to it before I start making dinner.” With that, she pats my hip and stands up from the bed and walks out of my room.

I throw my covers off and change out of my pjs.

I gather all my ingredients for cookies and get to work. This time around, I have a bit more excitement and pep in my step. I play my pump-up playlist on Spotify to help keep my mood up.

As I start to mix the dough, it makes me smile again knowing that James liked my cookies. I did something that made someone happy. Wait…he liked my cookies. He likes eating my cookies. I start to feel my cheeks redden at the thought and butterflies in my stomach. WOW I need a cold shower. How is it that I am already having these dirty thoughts after meeting him once?!

I shake those thoughts as I finish up the batch and let them bake to perfection. Baking brings me peace and baking for someone else makes my heart feel all warm and fuzzy. Makes me feel like I am doing something good.

At dinner, Auntie and I talk about me helping out again in the morning and discussing logistics. When she shifts to Marius to hear the latest gossip amongst their friends, I zone out while I think of James. All I want to do is make him smile. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll do just that.

~~

**The Next Day**

I am at the truck grabbing more produce when I hear Auntie speak, “Hey there James, I was wondering if you were going to show up this morning.” She gives him a cheeky smile.

“Can’t miss getting the best produce in town,” he replies charmingly.

“Are you trying to sweeten me up now James? Because if so, it’s working.”

“Guilty ma’am.”

I decide to make my way back to the front, when I see him. He is still looking at Auntie and my gosh he has such a beautiful profile. His sharp jaw lines and cheek bones, with those beautiful soft lips that would probably give the best kisses. Damn it, why am I thinking about kissing him?! Pull it together here. He’s just a friend.

I step forward and make my presence known while carrying a heavy box to the front. 

“Hey James,” I bravely call out to him. He turns to me with a smile but it changes to a frown and his eyes show concern as he sees me struggle with the box. I don’t realize how heavy the box has gotten and I start to pant while I rush to place the box down on the counter where my back is turned to him. I hover over the box and take a few steadying breaths to try to calm my racing heart. Not sure if it was because of the box or James though.

I hear him before I see him, “Are you alright?”

I turn all the way around to face him again and am taken back at the sight in front of me. He is in a similar outfit from two days ago but his shirt is a deep ocean blue. That color really brings out his eyes. I like seeing him in blue. He really can pull anything off.

I smile through my still slightly heavy breathing, “Yeah, sorry about that. Auntie never told me this would be such a workout.”

He smiles at that. Yes, I got him to smile! Now let’s keep him smiling, because him smiling makes me smile.

“I guess that’s why they call it hard labor, right?”

Good god, he is so sassy! He is trouble, no doubt.

I roll my eyes at him and say, “Yeah, go figure.”

He chuckles at that and smiles even more. His enthusiastic reaction to something so small brings me joy. I like it when he laughs too.

He stops laughing before he responds, “Would you like some help moving some more produce?”

I am a little shocked he offered to help. He seems too shy to be bold enough for that. But the offer is so kind and I will NOT pass up an opportunity to see his beautiful body at work.

I don’t want to give away how eager I am for his help. I respond, “Are you sure? I don’t want to keep you from anything.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t have time for it,” he slyly adds. And with a wink too. He winked at me!

Well fine, I can be sassy right back. “Well what are you waiting for then? Let’s put those muscles to work.” I smirk at him for added effect as I nod my head to the truck to signal him to join me.

I turn around and see him standing by the truck before I even reach it. How the hell did he get back there so quickly?!

He notices my bewildered response and smirks back to me as he leans against the truck with his left shoulder against the side of the truck bed with his arms crossed over his chest and his left leg crossed at his ankles.

“You some ninja or something?” I cross my arms over my chest to challenge him.

He smirks even more, “Something like that.”

We stare each other down for another minute and I tilt my head to the right as I examine him more. He doesn’t back down. He puffs his chest out even more and stands a bit taller. I notice his chest move under his arms. Not move because he took a breath, but like a muscle twitch. Wait…is he flexing?!

When he stands up straighter, I notice how broad his shoulders are. God he is a thick ass beautiful man. I wonder what it would be like to be wrapped up in those arms. I can feel the warmth and security wrap around me as I imagine him holding me tight against his chest. I blush and shyly smile.

I’m the first to break eye contact as I stare to the right at the boxes in the truck. He follows my gaze and drops his arms to the side. He moves to the back of the truck to stand close to me on my left. I look up to him before he looks down at me expectantly, kind of like he is waiting for me to give him an order.

I’m taking in how we are bantering back and forth and it’s like my little spat two days again didn’t even happen. He is just focused on the present, being here with me and it throw me through a loop. I really admire that about him.

I bring my hands up and clap them together. “Alright, let’s move all these boxes before you decide to bail on me.” I give him a blinding smile in hopes he can’t say no to me.

James nods with a smile and we get to work. Well more like he does a majority of the work. He must have some super strength and agility because of the 12 boxes total, I only moved 2 at the rate that he moved 10. And he didn’t even break a sweat.

I almost tripped once as I stretched out to see his ass walk in those jeans. Seriously why can't my ass look like that in jeans??

My stumble caught his attention but I brushed it off like it was nothing. Told him I'm just clumsy. Don't think he believed me.

When he comes back to the truck after dropping off the last box, he asks, “Is that all?”

I fidget briefly with my hands and muster up some courage before I lose my nerve.

“Not quite. Can you wait here for a second?”

James simply nods and I walk to the passenger side door of the truck to grab my backpack, which had all the cookies I had specifically baked for him.

I walk back over to James with a nervous smile. “James…I wanted to apologize for how I treated you the other day. I should not have taken my feelings out on you. I think it was just the build up of so many things that have happened lately, that I just kinda broke.” He nods along while he listens to me.

I might as well tell him the whole truth to start this newfound friendship off to a better start. “What you saw is one of my soul marks. People in the past have reacted not so nicely and I just grouped your shock into that, which wasn’t fair. I hope it doesn’t make you see me differently –“

“Why would people see you differently?” James was genuinely confused. He couldn’t comprehend why people would treat you differently. It’s just a soul mark. You also said one of your soul marks...how many do you have? And where are the others?

I look at him confused. Like the answer is so obvious. How could he not understand?

I relent and pinch the bridge of my nose as I exhale. I look at the ground and hold my right wrist as I rub it for comfort.

James notices it all. He notices how uncomfortable you are about talking about your soul marks. Especially Steve’s. He hopes you open up about it. He wants to understand why you’re, in a sense, ashamed. ARE you ashamed? God he hopes that’s not the truth.

Before he can say anything, you start to answer. “I used to not hide my soul marks. I thought they were incredibly beautiful. Still do. But since they are on a part of me that is very visible, everyone saw them and would make comments. Especially the one on my right wrist. With Captain America’s shield. As I got older, people started saying hurtful things about the shield on my wrist. It's why I try to hide them as much as possible.” My voice starts to crack near the end. I have to take a few breaths to calm down. I can feel tears in my eyes as my vision starts to get slightly blurry. I am trying so hard not to cry again in front of him. Don’t want him to think all I do is cry.

James’s blood is beginning to boil. Even though they just met, he can tell you are so kind. He takes long breaths through his nose to stay calm. He doesn’t want you to see him mad.

I take one last breath while I stare down at the ground. I'm spilling my guts before I realize it. “People would say things like the soul mark must be fake or a mistake, that I don’t deserve to be with Captain America, that I’m not good enough to be with him because I am not worthy, that because I’m not on his level he won’t like me back. Well...those are some of them.” I feel a drop on my hand and that’s when I realize I’ve been crying. Ugh I wanted to avoid this.

I softly chuckle when I start again, “Gosh I can’t seem to not cry lately. I promise I don’t cry this much. The words just still haunt me.” I fidget with my hands more and keep my head down. I can’t bear to see the look on his face. I can’t see more judgment.

James is PISSED. This is much worse than her being ashamed of the soul marks. He wish he could find every person who did her wrong by their hurtful words. He’s gonna be in the gym much longer today punching out his anger. God this is going to kill Steve, if he ever sees him again.

James finally has the courage to talk when he has calmed down. “Not your fault doll. Those bastards are wrong. You will always be worthy of your soulmate.”

I wipe my eyes and look up at him with trepidation. How do I know he is telling the truth? But somehow his words give me hope.  


“You think so?”

“I know so doll.” James gives me a comforting smile. I feel reassured by the confidence in his words.

I brush the rest of my tears off my face, “Thank you…”

There is a moment of brief silence before I remember all of this started because I wanted to give him his cookies.

“Sorry about this. Didn’t mean to go off on a tangent. You just make me feel safe to talk about things…but there was point to my apology at the beginning.” I grab the cookies that I had placed down on the truck bed. I hold them out as I look up at him with hope. “Auntie said you liked my cookies so I thought as an apology for my rude behavior the other day, I would bake you some more. Made you a whole batch this time.” I hand him over the plate of cookies.

James just stares at me for a moment. I can’t tell how he is reacting, but these cookies are getting kinda heavy in my hands. Gosh I really need to start doing some more exercise.

Suddenly, he beams down at me with the brightest smile ever and he says. “A woman after my own heart.” He grabs the cookies excitedly. “And if this is how you apologize, I will forgive you every time. Even though you didn’t have to apologize.” He gives me a heart-warming smile and I can’t help but blush and smile back to him.

“Good, now you enjoy those. But don’t go sharing these with anyone. Can’t be giving out my cookies to just anyone.” I wink at him as he clutches the cookies close to his chest.

“Rest assured doll, that definitely won’t be happening.” He takes one out right there and starts chomping away at the first cookie. I can hear him moan from the bite and it makes me laugh loud. His reaction is what I needed to lift my spirits, weirdly enough. Seeing him be happy because of me is what makes me happy.

I smile as we stare at each other again as he continues to chew and we are closer than before. But it doesn’t feel weird. I feel this pull towards him where I feel calmer when I’m closer to him. He doesn’t seem bothered by it either.

I’m pulled out of our bubble when I hear Auntie call out to me, “Emmie, where are you? I need you out front.”

I respond immediately and call back to her, “Coming Auntie!”

I look back to James. I nod my head to the farm stand, “I gotta go back. Kinda forgot about the farm stand for a minute. But if you rat on me, I’ll cut off your cookie supply.” 

James stops chewing for a second and his eyes go wide. “You wouldn’t…”

“Only way you find out is if you betray me.” I smirk back at him.

He gasps dramatically for extra affect. It makes me giggle. “Fine, you have my silence.”

“Good.” I smile back at him as I stop giggling. Might as well continue to be brave. “I was um…I was wondering if you would like to stay and hang out? I mean if you don’t have anything to do right now. I completely get it if you do. Sorry now I’m babbling. It’s...it's just nice to have a friend around.” I let out a breath as I finish.

I expected him to laugh at my nervousness, but he just smiles so sweetly back.

“I’d like nothing more doll.”

God, how does he do it? He is just so genuine and looks at me like with such kind eyes.

I smile back confidently, “Okay then.”

We head back to the farm stand to help Auntie out the rest of the day. I can’t remember the last time I laughed and smiled so much. And all because of James. I could get used to this.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff and feelings :)

**March 7th**

  


Since my apology, things have been so wonderfully good. James has come by the farm stand every day to get produce, of course, but then he stays and hangs out with Auntie and me. James actually helps a lot, between moving boxes of produce to helping me with my Romanian. I’m still a beginner so when I am talking with someone who doesn’t know English and I don’t understand something they say, he steps in and translates for me. And with him there, Auntie doesn’t have to do worry about me and helping the customers I’m with in case I get stuck. It has been very busy this first week, so he has been a life saver for us. He is such a sweetheart. Sometimes I wish I could call him my sweetheart.

  


When we aren’t working or it’s slow, we talk about the most random things from movies, to favorite places in town, to sports, and my favorite, we show each other the most ridiculous memes and animal gifs/videos. It’s become one of our things now.

  


Yesterday I showed him this animal gif that showed a dog catch a piece of food instantly when it was thrown at him and then it showed a cat where someone threw a piece of cheese at the cat’s head and the cat had no idea what to do when the cheese landed on its head and then seemingly tumbled off the counter. The cat forgot how to cat. I told him that and James couldn’t stop laughing for 5 minutes. His laughter is so contagious that I got into a laughing fit as well. My abs definitely got a workout. There’s my exercise for the day.

  


As Yvonne keeps an eye on the two of them, she smirks at what is blooming in front of her. Yvonne has noticed the complete change in her niece since she met James. She shines so much brighter, has so much joy on her face, and the love she exudes is palpable. She’s noticed how Emmie and James interact together, and she has this genuine feeling that they are connected to one another in some fashion. That they could be soul mates. Well he could be one of hers. That’s what Yvonne hopes.

  


For all of Emmie’s life, Yvonne has never seen her behave like she does with James. Even with Henry, who Emmie thought she was going to marry, she was never even an inkling of what she is like with James. It is heart-warming to see such a striking difference in her persona. Emmie is so wholesome when she is with James, and he helps bring out Emmie’s truest self in the best possible way.

  


And the way James looks at her and treats her is beyond adorable.

  


Emmie doesn’t see it yet but James looks at her as if she hung the moon and all the stars in the galaxy. His eyes light up every time he is with her and he is completely captivated by her and every word she says. He is already so protective yet wants her to be her strong self. The way he teases her and laughs at all her corny and punny jokes makes Yvonne’s heart swell. It is so endearing to see someone look at and treat Emmie like that because she deserves it more than anyone she can think of. Yvonne knows James has it bad for her niece because she saw and experienced all the same things with Marius.

  


She knows James is incredibly special to Emmie as well, as she often catches her niece daydreaming with a cute smile on her face or just talking at length at dinner about her conversations she had with James that day. Yvonne just hopes that Emmie can one day believe that someone can love her like that one day, like a soul mate should. On top of that, she hopes Emmie can allow someone to love her like that. Her sweet niece has been through so much emotional turmoil. But Yvonne knows that Emmie just needs a little push in the right direction sometimes so she knows what she has to do to help them truly connect as soul mates.

  


So today was just like any other day. James makes his routine walk over to the farmers market. He quickens his strides with every step so he can get to the market before it gets too crazy. He always tries to get there early so he can greet and spend time with his new favorite market vendor. You.

  


He’s only known you a week and he is utterly and completely smitten by you. There were some tears the first two times you met and it was a bit rocky, but you were so raw and vulnerable to him when you apologized that he was already taken by you. You showed him parts of the real you without any hesitation.

  


He couldn’t believe that you trusted some strange man with some of your biggest insecurities so quickly. But he is so grateful you opened up because he feels that much closer to you and the trust you gave him with that information? It makes him feel so important and needed by someone, which he hasn’t felt in…well decades. And he will protect that trust you gave him and you until his dying breath. An angel like you needs a little extra shielding from all the darkness this world has, because he never wants to see the light in you die out. The world needs more kind people like you.

  


Plus, you gave him an entire batch of cookies the other day and he is not ashamed to say they didn’t last past lunch. He could live off those cookies if he had to because they are that good. It helps that you made them specifically for him but he won’t tell you that. Yet.

  


On his way over, he stops and gets his morning coffee from Marius but decides to mix things up a bit. James knows you’ve been a bit tired this first week and thinks that bringing you a cup of coffee might cheer you up a bit. When he sees Marius, James tells him of his idea and Marius agrees to helping him. What James doesn’t know is that Marius is setting him up, as you don’t drink coffee. It actually makes you more anxious and even nauseous. Marius thought pulling this harmless prank might liven things up for today, but he knows he’ll catch grief from you tonight about it, but he doesn’t care. He knows you will laugh it off later.

  


So as Marius is preparing Emmie’s coffee, he asks James if he has his daily animal meme/gif for her today. James explains how he found this one gif of two French bulldogs playing, where the smaller dog is bopping the bigger dog in the butt as they hop along. He shows Marius and Marius laughs loudly and agrees that you will like that one.

  


As James is approaching Yvonne and Emmie, he is over analyzing his decision to get her coffee. It is a bit bold of a move but that seems to be the norm these days. People go out to coffee for dates. He isn’t taking her on a date but he is trying to show her he cares for her. It might seem like a small gesture but he had to start somewhere.

  


He shakes his head at that absurdity that going to coffee is a date. If he ever gets the chance to take Emmie out on a date, it will definitely be a real date. He’ll summon his charm from back in the day to woo her.

  


When James makes eye contact with Emmie, he smiles just as big right back at her. Seeing her smile will never get old to him. She has the most gorgeous smile and just seeing her beautiful face makes his day that much better. It even helps at night with his nightmares. Picturing her smiling at him has actually helped him sleep better these past few nights.

  


When Emmie asked him to stay to hang out after she apologized, he thanked whoever was watching over him because he was too nervous to ask the same thing. She was so sweet and shy in how she asked and he can’t stop thinking about her blush after she asked him. Her blush does something to him where it turns him into mush and he doesn’t want to do anything but hold her tight, tell her sweet nothings, and never let her go.

  


And even though she called him a friend, it hurt a little because he wants to be more than that, he is grateful to start being good friends and grow from there.

  


All of these feelings he is having are very conflicting though. He feels like he is cheating Steve because he has a strong indication that your Steve’s other soul mark and he feels like his feelings for you are wrong. But since Steve and him have 2 soul marks, 1 for each other, and then an identical pineapple as the second, he is beginning to think if you are the missing piece. It would make complete sense because he has this enormous pull to always be near you and your presence has never made him only feel calm. The only other person that can do that is Steve.

  


James decides that he doesn’t want to stop feeling happy and since you bring out his inner, most child like happiness, he is going to make every effort to be with you. He hopes you feel the same way. And hopefully time will help him decipher his feelings and explain what all is happening.

  


  


  


I finally see James approach the farm stand and I smile brightly at him. He has become my favorite part of the day. Things between us are just so easy and I’ve never smiled and laughed as much than when I’m with him.

  


“Morning James,” I smile at him enthusiastically.

  


“Morning doll,” he responds with an equally as big smile. Gosh I love his smile. He is so aesthetically blessed. I’m so envious of whoever his soul mate is.

  


“Whatcha got there James? Double fisting coffee today? That bad already?” I laugh at my own antics and he nervously laughs back. He makes his way behind the counter like he has done the past few days.

  


“Actually doll…I gotcha something. Thought you might need some coffee today for a little pick me up since you’ve been tired the past few. Marius said he knew what you liked…so here.” James hands me the steaming coffee cup.

  


The moment James said coffee, my smile faltered just slightly. But I plastered my smile right back on so he couldn’t tell. Gosh what am I going to do? I don’t drink coffee. Oh god the smell, it’s nauseating. And of course the wind just blew another whiff in my direction. Alright, think…how can I get rid of this coffee without him noticing so that I don’t hurt his feelings? Hmmm…got it! Let’s just hope this works.

  


“Oh gosh, thank you so much, that is so thoughtful of you.” I respond with hopefully what looks like an authentic smile. I take the cup from him and our fingers brush slightly. That is the first time we have touched at all. His fingers feel rough but they look strong and sturdy. He must use his hands a lot for whatever he does. I blush at the feeling of his fingers. I’d love to hold his hand one day.

  


James nods at me and moves to the side as a horde of people come up to the stand. I turn back to him and whisper a sorry to him. He smiles and whispers back no problem and we get to work for the morning rush.

  


Every time I go back to the truck, I take the coffee with me. I pretend to take a sip and then spit that shit out where no one can see me. That way I have coffee breath without having to drink it and the cup looks more empty every time I come back with it. But even having the coffee in my mouth is almost making me want to hurl. I’m definitely going to have a major headache later today.

  


Auntie observes Emmie’s suspicious behavior. One, you never have a coffee cup on you while you work. Two, why does the coffee cup have Marius’s logo on it? You didn’t go to the stand today. Three, why the hell are you spitting something out every time you go back to the truck? Hopefully you aren’t throwing up.

  


Then it clicks. James goes every morning to Marius. She must have missed him give her the cup earlier. She needs to have a word with him.

  


“Hey James, can you help me out over here for a minute?” Yvonne calls over to James.

  


As he walks over, he sees Emmie walk behind the truck and spit something out. Now he is on high alert. Is she sick? What’s wrong with doll?

  


“Do you need something? And uh, Yvonne, is Emmie alright?” He points to you near the truck and you continue to spit something out.

  


“I’m going to ask you a question and I need you to answer it truthfully.” James nods so Yvonne continues. “Did you get Emmie coffee this morning?”

  


James’ eyes go wide and Yvonne steps in. “I’ll take that as a yes. And she is going to hate me for telling you this but you should know. Emmie has pretty severe anxiety and coffee makes her more nervous, more jittery, gives her a headache, and sometimes makes her nauseous. She most likely didn’t have the guts to say something to you immediately because she didn’t want to hurt your feelings. Gosh that girl is always looking out for everyone else’s feelings.” Yvonne said that last part under her breath but James still heard her. Thanks super soldier hearing.

  


James runs his hand over his face in an attempt to calm himself down. He is pissed at himself for not realizing this earlier. He didn’t miss how her smile faltered when he gave her the coffee. That should have been the first sign, and then the huge fake smile she tried to pull on him. AND he should have guessed that Marius was messing with him.

  


“Damn it!” James whisper shouted. “Marius said she –“

  


“Woah, woah, woah…Marius? As in my Marius?” Yvonne wildly throws her hands up in the air and starts talking with her hands while she questions James. “Please don’t tell me he told you she likes coffee and then proceeded to give you a coffee for her.”

  


James nods his head solemnly in embarrassment. He is so mad at himself for making you feel physically bad.

  


“God that lil shithead rascal conman of a husband. UHHHHH. What am I going to do with him?” Yvonne laughs and shakes her head as she holds her head in her hands. When she lifts her head back up, “I will deal with Marius later, you go check in with Emmie.”

  


James looks at Yvonne with pleading eyes, asking her to not make him confront you.

  


“Oh come on James, you know she won’t bite. I promise she isn’t mad.”

  


James relents and starts heading back to the truck where you are currently bent over dry heaving. It pains him to see you like this.

  


He pauses around the corner out of your sight so he can pull himself together. He takes a couple deep breaths to calm him before he approaches you.

  


“Doll? You alright?”

  


I freeze my movements at James’ voice. Please tell me he didn’t just see me almost throw up. I wipe the saliva off my chin and turn towards him with a hesitant smile.

  


“Heya James, give me a sec…” I feel another wave of nausea, but nothing comes up. I put my hands on the side of the truck bed and hang my head between my arms. I close my eyes and take three more slow breaths to get through it.

  


I pull myself up and face James, “Sorry about that…just not feeling well this morning.”

  


James drops his gaze from you and looks at the ground as he sways from left to right, trying to decide how to confess to you.

  


“James?” I’m confused what is going on here, so I approach him slowly.

  


James sighs and looks back up at me with a guilty looking expression. He finally responds, “I’m sorry.”

  


I can barely hear his response but am confused why he is apologizing. “Sorry for what James?”

  


He brings his gaze to the coffee cup on the truck. Then it clicks. Shit did Auntie tell him? Has he seen me spitting it up back here? Ew, that was probably so _gross _to watch. Now I’ve gone and made him sad. _Why didn’t I just tell him from the start_?

  


I release a chuckle as my shoulders lose tension and drop to the floor.

  


“It’s my fault honestly. Should have said something. Did Auntie say something, or have you been spying on me back here?” I add a small smirk in hopes to lighten this up.

  


“A little of both,” he adds with a shy blush.

  


I cringe at the thought of watching someone dry heave. “Well that mustn’t have been a pretty sight. Coffee just makes me more nervous and gives me a headache. Sometimes an upset stomach too. I was more concerned with hurting your feelings because no one has ever been nice enough to bring me something out of kindness. I didn’t know what to do. Seems like I guessed wrong.” I bow my head in embarrassment.

  


James feels even worse. “Well please stop pretending to drink it. I hate myself for making you feel this way.”

  


Gosh his guilt is making me feel even more guilty. “Meh, water under the bridge. We’re all good here. Seriously.”

  


I can see James' shoulders relax as he exhales out a deep breath. “You’re way too nice doll.”

  


I brush a piece of hair that had fallen in my face behind my ear and redden at his compliment.

  


Next thing I know, Auntie calls us back out front and we are dealing with the mid-morning rush. Today was incredibly hectic for some reason and I would have been a lost cause if James wasn’t there. Besides Auntie, he has become my rock. I can rely on him whenever I need him and he seems to always be there and willing to help without me asking for it. Doesn’t hurt that he is massively popular with a lot of the community. Auntie and I think business has increased since he has been working with us the past several days. If I were a customer and I saw him working a farm stand, I’d for sure stop by every day just to see his beautiful face.

  


When the market finally closes for the day and we are in the midst of packing everything up, Auntie starts speaking nonchalantly. “So, James…you doing anything for your birthday in 3 days?”

  


James curses to himself as he had hoped Yvonne wouldn’t bring it up this year. She somehow found out last year and made him a cake, which was beyond what he ever expected. He hated celebrating his birthdays and knowing Yvonne, she would want to do something for him.

  


“You’re birthday is in 3 days?! Ohmygoshhappyearlybirthday!” I excitedly rushed out my response to him. I didn’t realize how enthusiastic I was and how wide my grin was either. I was just bouncing with joy because I love birthdays. Except my own. But I love helping others celebrating theirs.

  


“Oh, uh, you remembered Yvonne,” James starts and then turns to me. “And thanks doll.” He gives me a genuine smile.

  


“James, I have a proposition for you,” Yvonne gets James’ attention back.

  


“Oh no, this can’t be good,” James replies with a smirk. I start to giggle and I cover my hand over my mouth to hide it.

  


“How about Emmie, Marius, and I have you over for dinner on the 10th? And we won’t forget a cake either.”

  


James pretends to think over this decision, like it is a hard one. Any chance he can spend more time with Emmie he will take advantage of. Even if he doesn’t like to celebrate his birthday, he wouldn’t mind celebrating it with you. And even if that means Yvonne and Marius as well. He already knows this year’s birthday will be that much better than most in the past because you are here.

  


James turns to me with his response, “As long as you make me some more of those cookies doll.” James gives me a devilish smirk.

  


“You need more? Already?” I was surprised but also not that he had finished the cookies because they are so rich but that must mean he is a chocolate lover like me. I blush at the fact that we have another thing in common.

  


“Is that too much to ask doll? You up for it?” He eggs me on with a challenging yet joking tone.

  


I don’t really process it like that because most times when he calls me doll, my insides turn to mush and I lose focus. My eyes glaze over and my heart starts to beat just a little bit faster.

  


“Yeah anything for you James,” I respond breathily.

  


James is a bit taken aback and is quieted by your honest answer. He nods his head and blushes as he looks straight into your eyes. He could get lost in your beautiful almond shaped hazel eyes. Your eyes have a blue ring around your pupils and for some reason when you make eye contact with him, it makes him feel like he is being wrapped in a safety blanket, that nothing can touch him and he is safe from everything. The hazel in your eyes grounds him because it reminds him of being on earth, in nature, and the blue ring gives him peace, like when you look out onto the ocean on a calm summer day and can feel the waves wash onto your feet as you stand on the beach sand.

  


He finally gathers himself and responds with a playful answer, “Looking forward to it dollface.”

  


Oh, dollface? That’s a new one. Feels so old timey and reminds me of my grammy. She used to call me that. But when he says it, it’s filled with so much more intimacy and playfulness rather than in a teasing or petulant manner with my grammy. I loved my grammy but when James says it, I love it that much more. He just continues to make me smile that much more.

  


Yvonne pulls them out of their trance, “Alright you two, let’s call it a day. And Emmie, we have some planning to do for a special birthday.” Auntie gives me that knowing look. She sees right through me and I know we are having a pow-wow later to talk about James. She always knows.

  


I give James a shy goodbye wave and hope he doesn’t see how much my emotions are spilling out of me.

  


James walks away and Auntie can see the lingering gaze emanating from her niece, much like the heart eye emoji. She knows Emmie is so far gone it isn’t even funny.

  


Yvonne flings one of her arms around your shoulders, “Oh my dear sweetness, you have a _lot_ of explaining to do tonight,” she chuckles as she pulls you closer to her side.

  


~~

  


James couldn’t shake how special you had become to him. You have been nothing short of joy and lightness the past week and he can’t think of a happier seven straight days in his life.

  


But there is something tugging at the back of his mind that you are supposed to be something special to him, that you have are meant to have a place in his life but he can’t seem to place it.

  


James took a different way home today, like he always does, but he spots you walking to the local elementary school that Marius works at. Do you stop by there every day? How had he not noticed?

  


Then the next thing he watches unfold in front of him simply makes his heart stop. He sees you walk into a classroom with Marius and about 30 students where they all jump out of their chairs and rush over to you for a giant group hug. He is so overwhelmed with how the kids swarm to you. And when he sees you equally as passionate, he falls even harder for you.

  


He notices how your eyes light up and how exuberant you are with the kids. Your antics become livelier and you talk animatedly with you arms and hands with them. He can tell you're in the midst of telling them a story and the kids are completely engrossed in every word that you speak.

  


He observes a little more and is enthralled at how nuanced and complex you are. You might be outgoing, loud, passionate, basically a complete extrovert, while simultaneously lacing all of your behaviors in a gentle, soft, kind, and inviting ambiance that just draws in anyone smart enough to see through it.

  


James knows that one day, if you ever become a mother, you would be the best mom there ever would be. If he could ever have kids, he would hope that someone like you would be the mother of his children. Maybe even you yourself could be-

  


Wow why is he even thinking of you being a mom? He can’t put that on you. What if you didn’t even want kids but were just an angel with them? You just seem so in your element in that environment.

  


He really needs to get to know you more. As he thinks back on the past few days, he is aware that even though they have spent a significant amount of time together, the stuff they have talked about has been light and superficial. Which makes sense as they are at the beginning of their friendship.

  


What this makes James realize is that he really does want to get to know you more on a deeper level. He wants to peel back the layers of your beautiful soul. He can tell there is a lot that you don’t show to everyone, and maybe even hide behind your bubbly personality.

  


With that thought and one last glance at you with the energetic kids, he smiles to himself knowing he met such a pure and kind soul. Someone who has accepted him without a second thought. Someone who looks at him with so much admiration, and yes, he has noticed all the ways you have looked at him and he has to pinch himself to make sure her reactions are real. He knows he will do everything in his power to protect her so that she never changes.

  


~~

  


“So…my sweetness, what was all of that about earlier today with James?” Auntie wiggles her eyebrows at me.

  


I groan and cover my face in my sweatshirt. There is no point in trying to hide anything from her anymore. She is too perceptive. “Is it that obvious Auntie?”

  


“Clear as day sugar.”

  


“Fan-fucking-tastic.” I sigh in response. “Do you think he has noticed?”

  


“I’m fairly certain my sweet girl…but I think he might have similar feelings towards you.”

  


I sarcastically chuckle at that, “Yeah right Auntie, what guy who looks like him would ever like someone like me? He’s a 10 on steroids while I am at most a…a…5 maybe. He’s out of my league.” I slump more into my seat as I close my eyes and try to push back the rest of the negative and demeaning thoughts and comments Henry and my mom have ever told me. I’ve been doing so good by pushing it to the side. But this subject is too much of a sore spot for me.

  


Their thoughts have become my own after all of these years and I’m trying hard to work on switching them to something positive. But that’s really hard to do when my mind isn’t in a good place. When I get sucked into the depths of my biggest insecurities, it’s hard to escape without something bad coming back up to haunt me.

  


At the end of my mental spiraling, Auntie speaks, “Emmie…I know where your head is going and I’m gonna stop you there.” She pulls me into her lap and hugs me tight against her chest. I sink into her arms and let out a breathy gasp as a tear falls down my face. I hate how this stuff makes me so upset.

  


I feel Auntie’s hand rub up and down my back trying to calm me down. This sensation is helps ground me more into the present moment.

  


“Emmie…can I tell you something?”

  


I know my voice will crack if I speak so I just mumble, “Mhm.”

  


“From all my escapades around the world, I learned a LOT about men. And It doesn’t matter what part of the world they are from, they share many similar tendencies.

  


“Men will make the effort to see you if they are interested. You should never chase a man, only drinks and dreams. They are such simple-minded creatures and very few have high emotional intelligence.

  


“Men will also only change for women who they truly care for or love. And let me tell you, from what I have seen in the last week…James exhibits all of that. Ever since the first day of the market, he has shown up every day to see you and he found a way to stick around and help out at the farm stand. I only saw him every few days last season. No ordinary man would make those efforts. And whenever you were busy with something else, he looks at you with such admiration and has asked me a few times how you are doing…Emmie…he is so so special. I _know_ he already cares for you immensely.

  


She tilts my chin up so I am looking into her eyes. “You know I would never lie to you my sweetness and I hope you can believe me.”

  


There are streams of tears on my face and Auntie moves her hand to wipe them away slowly.

  


I nod my head as a sob escapes my lips. I am so overwhelmed by her words.

  


Auntie starts again, “Emmie, you are truly a gem and you deserve so much more than what you have had in the past. Please don’t let your past experience taint what could be a beautiful one. And Emmie?”

  


“…Yeah?”

  


“It’s ok to have hope that he is the needle in the haystack, that he is the one, that he could be different. But please give him a chance. I’ve known him for over a year and he is unlike any man I’ve ever met.”

  


I’ve calmed down enough to respond now, “You really mean that Auntie?”

  


“Of course my sweet girl, I would never steer you wrong, especially with your heart. You have such a huge, beautiful, loving, and kind heart and I hope it never changes. You wear your heart on your sleeve and I only want you happy because you deserve it more than anyone I know. I will help guide or support you to find that happiness, if that is something you want.”

  


I don’t deserve this woman, gosh I love her so much. I raise my arms and thrust them around her neck and pull her impossibly close to my body. I start crying again. She has shown me so much grace and love and I feel undeserving of it, but it doesn’t mean I won’t take it right now.

  


I nod into her neck before I speak, “I’d really appreciate that Auntie…please…that would mean so much to me.”

  


She hugs me back equally as tight. “Good. Now that is settled, let’s start planning that birthday dinner!”

  


Shit, right, all of this started because of a birthday dinner. Birthday means cake and a party. A party also means gifts. Ugh that means I need to get James a gift.

  


I feel like I’ve known him for as long as I can remember even though we’ve only been friends a week. But I don’t know enough about him to feel like I would know what he would like.

  


Auntie leads me into the kitchen as she starts to spit out her ideas but I interrupt her, “Auntie, wait…I have no clue what to get James for his birthday. Like you said earlier, you’ve known him for a while. What would he like? Please help me.” I am right in front of her, with desperation leaking from my words. I really want to make this birthday special for him. He already means so much to me and I hope my actions can show him that.

  


Auntie smirks at me and I know she already has an idea just from the look on her face. “Actually, I know just the thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I know this fic is moving at a snail's pace but I promise there will be drama :) please be patient, I just want to develop Emmie and James' relationship before moving on. And please let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Birthday dinner for James

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah SO sorry for the delay in adding this chapter! 
> 
> First, I CAN'T believe I am over 1k hits, this is amazing. Didn't expect for people to like this story but I am excited to continue writing it. I have lots of ideas. And because of this, some of my tags might be changing along the way so please be aware of those. 
> 
> Lots of build up in the chapter and angst. The feels are there and secrets are revealed. Hopefully the extra long chapter makes up for the wait. :)
> 
> I made the decision to write it in third-person so that it flows more seamlessly and it is easier to read. I hope you all can understand. I was nervous to switch this many chapters in but a reader gave me encouragement and felt like it would help make the flow better. 
> 
> Let me know your thoughts if you like it in third person and what your comments in general! Happy reading!

**March 10th, 2016**

James’ birthday dinner celebration has finally arrived and Emmie has been in frantic disarray all day. She has been running around in a panic worrying about making the night just perfect so that James can have the best birthday to date. Somehow, she feels responsible for making sure he is happy, even though they have barely known each other. And she is taking that responsibility very seriously. Birthdays should be filled with joy, unlike hers in the past, and all she wants is for James to have what she hasn’t had.

Secretly Emmie is treating tonight as another chance to impress James. She is really taking Yvonne’s advice and giving James a chance. Emmie is hanging onto that last thread of hope with him.

Yvonne helped Emmie pick the right outfit. The night was casual and Emmie didn’t want to overdress. They decided on a simple grey shirt dress with a jean jacket and brown laced high heels. Emmie loves wearing layers and these pieces are perfect as the weather is starting to warm up.

It also hides her most insecure areas of her body. But she won’t tell anyone that.

Emmie is focusing on setting the table when Yvonne approaches her with more decorations, “How are you feeling about tonight my sweetness?”

Emmie stills and lays down the last fork next to the dinner plate. She sighs and says, “Honestly Auntie? I’m a nervous wreck. I want this to go well. Really well. And I’m nervous that I’ll screw it up.”

“Emmie, just let it be tonight. Enjoy yourself and don’t focus on impressing him tonight okay? He already likes you as a person, you’re past the impression stage.”

At that, the women hear four knocks on the door. Emmie’s eyes go wide and she holds her breath. Yvonne puts her hands on Emmie’s shoulders and presses them down to help her relax.

“You got this Emmie, go greet out guest.”

Emmie closes her eyes and nods her head. She straightens herself up before she turns and heads down the hall to the front door.

She takes another minute to steel herself before she goes to pull the door open. She plasters on a wide smile in hopes that James won’t see how nervous she is about tonight.

James was doing the same thing mere inches away on the other side of the door, giving himself a pep talk for tonight. He still couldn’t get over the nice gesture from Yvonne and Emmie to help him celebrate his birthday. His nerves are wracking him because this is a different environment for him and Emmie. They’ve only interacted at the farm stand and having dinner is an intimidating next step. He shakes his hands out knowing it is just dinner and nothing more

James steps forward right up to the door and was about to knock again, wondering if his knock was loud enough, when the door was quickly pulled open and he was met with Emmie in her apron standing right in front of him. He is practically standing right on top of her and he is frozen in place when he sees her right near his chest looking up at him with the brightest smile. He loves her smile, it is so pure and full of light. But her smile slightly drops suddenly as she realizes how close they are to each other. He hopes he hasn’t freaked her out.

They don’t break eye contact as he quickly brings his hand back down to his side as he takes a step back.

He coughs to clear his throat, “Uh…sorry…I was –“

James stops talking when Emmie smiles back at him like nothing happened. James’ heart warms at how she so easily can bring him the simplest moments of happiness. He doesn’t know how she can do it.

“Probably my fault, I took too long to answer the door. But welcome, James. And let me be the first to wish you a happy birthday,” Emmie responds with a softer smile. She hopes James can tell she really means it when she says it.

James looks at her and can see the authenticity behind her smile. It reaches all the way to her eyes.

Emmie steps to the side to allow James to come into the apartment. He says, “Thanks doll,” with an equally sweet smile. “It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

Emmie softly giggles and blushes beet red as she looks at the floor. She can’t handle it when James compliments her. And for some reason, she believes him when he does.

James finally steps inside the apartment and is smacked in the face with the delicious smelling wafts of air that are coming from the kitchen. It definitely smells like Italian food. His favorite. He licks his lips as he takes another inhale.

“God, that smells so good. Whaddya make me dollface?”

Emmie didn’t miss how his tongue darted out to wet his lips. She stares longer at his luscious lips and wishes those lips were on his right now. Her mouth goes dry and slightly parts at the thought of it as she continues to stare at his lips.

James notices she is staring at his lips and smirks. Well, he is shocked but it also gives him more confidence to keep flirting with her. He really likes how flustered she gets when he flirts with her and calls her pet names.

James calls to her again with a teasing tone, “Doll?”

Emmie suddenly raises her gaze so her eyes are back on James. She reddens even more when she knows he caught her staring. He is smirking at her knowing she was caught red handed. Damn it, she is already screwing this up. _Be cool Emmie_.

She smiles to herself and looks down and realizes she is still wearing her apron. And it is utterly _filthy_ from all the oils from the sauce pan. _Oh my god!_ She probably looked ridiculous still wearing it and she wanted to greet him with the outfit she picked out for tonight. She starts to fiddle with the hem of the apron knowing she is taking too long in responding to James.

She looks back up to him and has a nervous smile when she responds, “We made Italian. Well, mostly Auntie did, and I helped out where I could. I hope spaghetti and meatballs are alright? And of course I made you your cookies. Couldn’t forget those.” She adds a wink at the end to give herself more confidence to stay cool.

James moans at the mention of spaghetti and meatballs. One of his favorite dishes ever. He gives her a genuine, teeth baring smile. “Doll, not sure how you keep making me my favorite things.”

Emmie decides to let her dorky side come out briefly and starts to say the most famous line from My Favorite Things “These are a few of my favorite things” in a sing-song like tone but her smile falters as she finds a confused look on James’ face.

“The Sound of Music?”

James doesn’t say anything and shakes his head no.

“Seriously?! Julie Andrews?! Ugh we will have to watch that sometime. You are missing out.”

Shit, did she just suggest they watch a movie together? Wow that was forward. Usually she isn’t that bold. Emmie doesn’t understand it but she realizes how she is only bold around him.

Before she can second guess herself more, James says with a cheeky smile, “Sounds good to me doll.”

James then takes off his coat but realizes he doesn’t know what to do with the glove on his left hand. Emmie has never asked about it before because they have been outside and it’s been chilly but now they are inside and she might get suspicious.

Emmie reaches out for his coat, “Here let me take that.” When he hands her the coat, she notices the glove still on his hand and starts again, “Want to put your glove with your coat?”

James doesn’t know what to do. He is paralyzed about what to do. He can’t tell her. Obviously not right now. He thinks of the first thing that comes to mind and tries to lie enough for her to believe it.

He waves his left hand and says, “Bad circulation.” The second he said it, he knew it was a shit excuse. But that is all he could think of at the top of his head. For an assassin, that was pathetic.

Emmie is stunned and confused by his answer and can tell this is a sore spot because his mood immediately dropped when she brought up the glove. She decides not to poke at that topic until much later.

She takes him at his word and wants to make him feel comfortable so she gives him the best smile she can, “Okay, no worries. Now come on, dinner is waiting. I hope you brought your appetite.”

Her nonchalance of the matter sets him at ease about the topic and falls back into his flirty self.

“I’m famished doll.”

Emmie grins even wider at James and she motions for him to walk ahead into the kitchen where the table is set. She hurriedly yanks the apron off her and chucks it in her room

When he finally reaches the kitchen, Yvonne, Marius, and Emmie cheer happy birthday in unison. And what he walks into is not what he expected at all. He is astounded by the effort that went into tonight.

The table is littered with candles of different shapes and heights with the food already on the table in large serving bowls. Tied to the back of one of the seats are about 8 different balloons of various colors. There is a banner hanging over the windows next to the dinning table that reads _Happy Birthday James! _And lastly, there are red and blue streamers that drape from the corners of the room.

The decorations may seem cheesy and outdated to most, but this is one of the sweetest gestures anyone has done for James in the longest time. He can’t even remember a time before the war where someone went out of their way to do something like this for him.

He is so touched that he stands there shocked speechless for a minute taking everything in. He makes every effort to not let the tears building up fall out onto his cheeks. He tucks his lower lip in between his teeth so it doesn’t tremble.

He senses Emmie coming up behind him and she gently places her hand on his right shoulder blade and asks him with trepidation, “Is everything okay James?...Is it too much?”

At this he turns towards her with a somewhat angry look and he can tell she sees his anger because she shrinks away. Before she can get too far away, James reaches out for her hand and holds her there with his grip and gaze.

As he takes Emmie in, he notices that the apron is off but when he eyes her necklace, which is on full display now, he suddenly can’t breathe anymore. Everything fades away as he stands there with Emmie.

The pineapple pendent around her neck is on full display and is the exact same symbol as his second soul mark, which is located right underneath his left armpit, next to his heart. His eyes glaze over as his breath hitches. He found their third. His second soulmate. _He found her._

As he looks back at the last 10 days, he should have figured out. All the signs have been there. The lingering gazes, the constant smile that never left his face, how easily they interacted with each other, how he feels like the only person in the universe when she looks at him, how he felt this pull towards her instantaneously when they met. She was right in front of him this _entire time_.

Now that everything is coming together and James has his answer, he can’t slow down his racing heart. This moment is so much more than he ever expected.

Emmie sighs loudly at his lack of response and knew she tried too hard. She feels herself begin to panic and her throat tightens up as she thinks she’s ruined the night. She shifts her weight into her heels in an attempt to pull away from him but he doesn’t let go. He pulls her back to him.

She whispers at another attempt to get James to respond, “I’m sorry if it’s too much, I just wanted to do something nice for your birthday. It’s ok if you don’t –“

James can’t take her rambling and agony anymore and is finally brave enough to where he squeezes her hand to get her attention. He levels his voice and tone before he speaks, “Doll.” She still doesn’t look at him at the first attempt. He pulls her hand closer to his chest and tries again, like there is no one else in the room.

“Doll, look at me.” She finally looks up at him and releases the breath she was holding in.

When Emmie looks in his eyes this time, all she sees is pure adoration and gratitude. A shy smile escapes her as her shoulders lower down away from her ears.

James speaks directly at her when he has her full attention, “I don’t like it.” Emmie frowns at that and is almost heart broken, but he stops her thoughts when he adds, “I love it. It’s perfect. Thank you.”

James rubs his thumb across her knuckles with affirmation while keeping eye contact so she knows he is telling her the truth. She is stunned silent and blushes a scarlet red.

Emmie doesn’t know what to think. She has no clue how to process what just happened.

_Did he just hold her hand?! _And he said he _loves _the decorations! Maybe tonight isn’t a bust yet.

James can tell Emmie is zoned out and stuck in her head, so he squeezes her hand a third time and this time she squeezes back. That makes James swell with pride that she is receptive to him.

Yvonne finally steps forward from around the corner where her and Marius had disappeared to when they got lost in their precious moment. She knows exactly what just happened and her heart is so full at what just unfolded. She takes this lull as her cue to chime in.

Yvonne claps her hands together and says, “Okay you two, dinner is ready so let’s sit!” Marius and her take their seats

James doesn’t let her hand go even though she jumps at Yvonne’s interjection into their moment. James used her surprise as a chance to hold her tighter to him for a moment longer.

He moves them both closer to the table when he asks Emmie in a whisper as he points to the seat with the balloons, “I guess that’s my seat?”

Emmie becomes self-conscious that he doesn’t like it and doesn’t want to sit there. She gets nervous again and doesn’t know what to say so she goes with the truth. “It is but it’s ok if you don’t want to sit there. I can take them down if you wa-“

“Dollface, you made me a throne of balloons, of course I am going to sit there.” James smirks at her and notices her visibly relax and he sighs in relief he got her to ditch her nerves, even if for a brief moment.

He walks them to the table where Yvonne and Marius are already sitting. James still has her hand in his and revels in the feel of her much smaller, softer hand. He really doesn’t want to let go. Her slender fingers hold his with more strength than he expected, and he is not sure if her grip is grounding for him or for her.

Yvonne is already sitting on the left of his balloon throne so James moves Emmie to the seat on his right. He sadly has to drop his hand when they reach the table and all he knows is that he wants to hold her hand again. He stops her from sitting down immediately so that he can pull her chair out for her.

Emmie becomes bashful at his actions and thanks him. She steps around the chair to sit in and James then pushes her closer to the table before he sits in his designated birthday seat. She is happy she gets to sit next to the birthday boy. That was her plan all along.

James can’t believe he is surrounded by all of this. He feels incredibly undeserving by their loving natures and wanting to do something special for his birthday. He honestly can’t remember the last time someone went to this much trouble to celebrate him. But he isn’t complaining. He is going to take all of this and bask in it all night long.

~~

Dinner goes off without a hitch. The food was spectacular, and the wine never stopped flowing. The conversation was fun, light, and never had a dull moment. James couldn’t stop laughing throughout the whole meal. He has never seen Emmie like this before, so relaxed and at ease with herself, in this environment, and with her family. Well…this part of her family. He gets a feeling from Emmie that there may be some animosity with her immediate family.

He doesn’t want to think about that tonight though. At least she has Yvonne and Marius. But tonight, he wants to soak in how beautiful this moment is so he can remember it for forever.

He thinks the wine helped loosen her up a bit, but he isn’t sorry for appreciating it. She seems to let those sky-high walls down after a few glasses. She seems to smile more freely, and her blush is even more evident. Maybe it was the lighting, but he’s pretty sure it’s the wine and the people.

He adores this side of her, where she is never not smiling, and hopes for more moments like this in the future. He wants to see the small dimples that show every time her lips turn up into a smile, the soft crinkles at the corner of her eyes, and he secretly wants to record her roaring with laughter because he thinks it’s one of the purest sounds he has ever heard.

He admits that she looks genuinely happy and for the slightest moment he fears that if he continues to stay connected to her that he will take that happiness away. That is the last thing he ever wants to do to her.

But he shakes that thought because it is his birthday and Emmie went through all the trouble to make tonight perfect for him. He won’t let his thoughts derail his attitude.

James has realized even more from tonight that he likes being physically close to Emmie. Her presence is extremely comforting and helps his mind slow down and feel less cluttered with his chaotic thoughts. He hasn’t been able to take his eyes off her all night, one because she is radiating like the sun on a clear summer day, but two, because her obvious happiness makes him believe that everything is going to be okay. She gives him this abundant amount of reassurance that he can’t explain. That everything he went through so that he could meet her was worth it. Because for the longest time he thought he was never going to meet his second soulmate.

And his expectations of his other soulmate were completely blown to smithereens when he met Emmie. She is the complete opposite of the kind of gal he went out with before the war, but he is the type of gal he always dreamt of ending up with. He never brought those gals he dated home for a reason. But Emmie is without a doubt the only doll he will ever bring home. If only there was a home to bring her to. His family would have loved her though. They would see the way he looks at her and know he is a goner, and they would have taken her in with open arms, knowing their James found his doll.

Knowing who she is now, he knows he has to do right by himself and Steve. He has to find the courage inside and tell her what she means to him. But that’s another issue for another day.

Emmie can without a doubt say that tonight has been one of the best nights here in Bucharest. Being with three of her favorite people helps too. Even though she had a bumpy start to the night with James, dinner was perfect. Everything with him so is _easy_ and she has never felt that way with any man before. Being with him is so effortless. It all just seems so right.

The pull she constantly feels towards him tonight has felt stronger than usual. Throughout dinner, she has been slowly inching her way closer to James, hoping that Yvonne and Marius don’t notice. She gets close enough to where her left knee is barely touching his right. She thought she was being sneaky, but James turns to her the moment their legs touch and gives her a dreamy smile.

The way that he looks at her makes her melt. She never knew someone could look at her the way that James does. She doesn’t know what it is and what is happening, but she _definitely_ could get used to it.

Emmie ideally wants more but she doesn’t want to push her luck with Yvonne and Marius so close. She settles with just their knees barley touching to soothe her aching heart.

After dinner, Emmie moves to skooch her chair back and James freezes for a moment and presses his knee closer to her and she notices the fear in her eyes. She doesn’t understand why he is afraid of her moving away but she turns that into comfort with a gentle smile. She placates him by saying, “I’ll be right back James.”

James watches Emmie walk into the kitchen and grab the platter that is holding a birthday cake. He’s not sure how he missed the cake blatantly sitting on the counter when he walked in, but then he laughs at himself because he was so taken by Emmie. Still is.

Emmie reaches into a drawer and pulls out candles and a lighter. She lights one candle and uses that candle to light the rest. She didn’t know how many candles to use, so she just placed every single one on the cake. The more the merrier.

James takes a moment to admire Emmie with the candle light illuminating her face. The lights were already turned off for dinner, so it was just the candles bringing a soft yellow light, highlighting all the right features. Her hazel eyes seemed darker yet more inviting and her round cheeks looked softer. Her lips looked rounder and plumper. And the few tendrils of hair in the front of her face were starting to fall forward, perfectly shaping her face.

She simply looked beautiful. She looks more beautiful to him every time he lays eyes on her.

He is pulled out of his reverie when Emmie, Yvonne, and Marius start singing happy birthday. It’s been over 70 years since he’s heard that tune.

James’ lips turn up into a smile and he has to fight off his laughter as her voice is so out of tune, but he adores her for trying. And she never breaks eye contact during the entire song. He can’t seem to look away either. He doesn’t want to miss another moment of his life where he isn’t admiring her.

Emmie places the cake down in front of him near the end of the song. She goes to sit down again and James doesn’t miss how she brought her chair closer to him and brings her knee back against his under the table. He smirks at her, appreciating how subtle she is trying to be.

The three start whooping and clapping for James to blow out the candles.

Emmie whispers to him as she leans in a tad bit closer, “Make a wish James. And make it a good one.”

She doesn’t wink, but rather gives him a gentle nod and shy blush, as if she is afraid she is showing him all her cards.

James takes a shuttering breath and closes his eyes as he thinks of his wish. His wish is simple actually. He wishes for love. James wishes Emmie and he can fall deeply in love, the type of love that soul mates aspire to have. He wishes he can spend the rest of his days with her. And he wishes that someway, somehow, he can be reunited with Steve. That the three of them can live a blissful life together, so happily in love with each other.

James is usually not this hopeful about things, especially about his soul mates and love, but something about Emmie brings it out of him. Her hopeful demeanor rubs off on him so easily that he finds himself hoping for more things than just love. That things will be okay one day.

James finally blows out the candles and Emmie smiles and laughs gleefully. James hopes he can always keep Emmie this happy. One of the most beautiful sights he’s ever seen.

And of course, the cake that Emmie made was delectable. He should have guessed that anything she bakes is delicious. It was a moist chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, and vanilla ice cream. He has been in food heaven tonight, spoiled rotten.

The four of them continued to talk for a while as they enjoyed the birthday cake, but he kept noticing how Emmie was a bit fidgety in her seat. After she finished her slice, which she barely touched, maybe had 2 or 3 bites, she shifted slightly away from him and started wringing her hands bouncing her knee up and down quickly. James could easily tell something was bothering her.

Yvonne and Marius gave him the perfect window when they stepped away from the table to start cleaning everything up.

With every gentle molecule in his body, he slowly and softly places his hand on Emmie’s bouncing knee.

Emmie notices immediately and stiffens at the action. She whips her head to face James with wide eyes.

She forgets to breathe for a moment, she can’t believe he put his hand on her knee. And it felt…_nice?_ She definitely hoped she could feel his touch again. But Emmie is more shell shocked at why he would want to touch her. Emmie knows she dressed up nice for tonight but generally, she feels she isn’t pretty enough for him. _Why would he show any interest in her?_

James is a bit frantic, he is worried he was a bit too forward by putting his hand on her knee because of her stark reaction. She seems frazzled and he wants to calm her down because he can tell she is holding her breath.

“Hey…dollface? Can you take a breath for me please?” James asks full of earnestness, with his face so close to hers.

James sees Emmie visibly relax as she releases her breath. “There we go doll, good girl.”

Emmie’s face quickly turns a deep red as she shifts her gaze down to her lap, where her hands are still fidgeting. Is she slightly _turned on_ by him calling her a good girl? Well…there are worse things.

James gets Emmie’s attention again, “Doll, mind tellin’ me what’s goin’ on in that pretty head of yours?”

_He called my head pretty?_ She mentally giggles at the thought.

Emmie can’t keep the nervous smile off her face. She’s not sure how his simple words affect her that much.

“Uh…uh huh…oh yeah….mhm…” Emmie can’t seem to put a single word together.

“Come on doll,” James whispers to her.

“Sorry…I…what I mean to say is that I have something for you and…and wanted to show you something too.”

James can’t handle how cute and bashful she is being but he barely lets her know that. The corner of his lip slightly turns up as he looks at the beautiful woman sitting beside him. And he is relieved he was able to get through to her.

Instead of waiting for James to respond as the suspense is killing her, Emmie finally makes eye contact with him and abruptly pushes her chair back to go pick up his gift. She returns with a shy smile and nods up to the ceiling. James gets the idea and stands up to start following her.

As the pair make their way to the door, Emmie calls out, “Auntie, we will be on the roof. Call out if you need anything.”

Yvonne replies, “Have fun and stay warm!” She adds a wink as Emmie finally exits the apartment.

Emmie doesn’t know what to say the entire elevator ride up so she stays silent. She doesn’t want to jinx her courage and back out before it is too late. She is fiddling with the gift bag in her hands as they wait for the slow elevator to take them to the top.

Emmie’s nerves cause James to be somewhat nervous. He has no clue what she has in store for him or what is waiting on the roof. But at least he gets to spend some one-on-one time with her.

They are walking up the eerily dark corridor and it puts Bucky on edge. He doesn’t know the blueprints of this building and it puts him on edge. He doesn’t know what is behind the next door and he can’t have anything happen to Emmie so his protective instincts kick in.

Emmie reaches for the door handle but James reaches out and stops her. She looks back at him with concerned eyes. She thinks, _is he afraid of heights? Of the roof? Was this the right place to take him?_

Emmie gently nods and says, “It’s okay James, it’s just the rooftop entrance.”

James looks into her eyes and only sees the truth. He nods and they proceed forward.

When Emmie steps through the door, she sets her gift bag down on the ground and she walks faster to the edge of the roof and releases a large sigh as she closes her eyes and looks up to the darkened night sky. She can feel the slight chilly breeze on her face and neck, how the wind brushes the hair around her face back behind her shoulders, and hears the light traffic roaming around below her.

James takes a moment to admire how Emmie stands there in front of him and just, _lets go. _She is breath taking to him, and he hopes that one day he can learn to let go like she does. She makes it look so _easy._

James coughs and brings Emmie out of her daze. She turns quickly and spreads her arms out wide to her side, showing her short wingspan, then brings them back down to her side.

Emmie steps closer to James and speaks softly, “Up here is my little getaway. I come up here to think, clear my mind. I…I wanted to share this with you tonight.” She let’s out a quiet breath, “I hope that is alright. Plus, in my humble opinion, it has the best view of the city.” She nods her head to her left and James shifts his gaze to his right.

The clear night sky allows for the city lights to shine brighter below the shimmering stars above. James takes a moment to really take all of it in and he is stopped still. He can now understand why Emmie would want to come up here, it’s spacious and peaceful. He doesn’t ignore the fact that Emmie is sharing this special place with him too.

James finally speaks, but is looking directly at Emmie while she looks out onto the small skyline, “You’re right…definitely the best view.” James is glad Emmie doesn’t notice him admiring her at the moment. He wouldn’t be able to handle her eyes on him.

Emmie waves him over to the long wooden bench that is near the edge and she grabs the gift on her way back. As he walks over, she lifts the lid and pulls out a thick blanket. She goes to sit down and motions for him to join her as she pats the seat next to her.

James is nervous so doesn’t sit right next to her, leaving at least a foot between them. She lifts up the blanket and questions James nervously, “Do you want to share?”

James is afraid of coming off too strong with her but with how their knees touched at dinner and now with her offering, he nods and accepts, and slides closer to her, but still leaves a few inches in between. Even though he doesn’t need it, he takes the blanket and pulls it over his lap, because that means being closer to her.

Emmie pulls the giftbag up onto her lap and turns somewhat to face him so she can look up at James, who is already staring at her. She slinks back slightly as she blushes. She can’t handle the way he looks at her.

Emmie hands the bag over to James and when he holds it, it is heavier than he expects. But by the feel of the bag, he knows exactly what’s inside without having to look and he grins broadly.

“Is this what I think it is?” He says as he wiggles his eyebrows.

“2 whole batches.”

“God doll, thank you. You seriously make the best cookies ever.”

Emmie giggles at his confession. “Well, thank you. And I’ll make them anytime you want. But there is something else inside.”

James grins back at her and digs in. He shuffles around the tissue paper and finds a card.

He pulls it out and opens up the envelope. What he finds is a pug leaning over a birthday cake and is covered with cake over its face and a party hat on top. It reads on the front, “Were you going to eat this?” He chuckles and opens up it up where it says “Hope not but Happy birthday!” Inside the card also lies a small photo, but the back is turned up. He moves it to the side as he sees a short-hand written note that reads:

_James,_

_Happy happy birthday! I hope you have had the best day, because I can’t think of a better person who deserves it more. _

_I know we haven’t known each other for too long, but it feels like I’ve known you forever. I can’t thank you enough for your daily kindness, unending patience and help at the stand, and our laughing sessions. I’m glad someone laughs at my silly jokes._

_I hope the b-day celebrations weren’t too much and you liked the small get together. _

_-Emmie_

_P.S. I’m so grateful I’ve met you, you’ve made my time here that much more special_

While James read the note, Emmie was holding her breath. She kinda opened up to him more than she has before and she is scared of how he is going to respond.

James finishes the note and he has to take a breath to settle down. As he does so, he turns over the small 3” x 5” photo and feels like he is on the verge of tears. He has to swallow back the tightness in his throat to not let a choked cry out.

What he finds is Emmie and him laughing heartily together while they are lost in each other’s eyes. He knows exactly when and where this was taken and he is so grateful that someone captured the moment. He will never get tired of seeing Emmie like that, all free and smiling.

He holds it up to his chest and takes a deep as he takes in the gravity of the gift. Even though it is small, it means more to him than she will ever realize.

The silence from James has been deafening for Emmie and she can feel her breathing start to pick up from panic. She thinks James doesn’t like any of it because he isn’t showing her any emotion. She has a death grip on the blanket to try to ground herself.

She finally can’t take it and speaks softly, almost at a whisper, down into her lap, “Do…do you not like it? It’s just a picture but I thought it was a good one of us and I didn’t know if you liked frames so I kinda thought this would be nice so you could keep it in your wallet. Knowing you always have a friend with you wherever you go. But it’s okay if you don’t honestly, I know it isn’t that special- “

James is shocked that Emmie thinks he doesn’t like his gift. She _really_ thought this out and that right there is what makes his heart clench and adore her even more.

“Doll, are you kidding me?” James holds on the card and picture out in front of him like a prized possession.

“Uh…no?”

“Emmie…this gift is perfect. The nicest thing someone has done for me in a _long_ time.”

Emmie gasps. She can’t breathe. He said her _name. _He said _her _name. And she really likes it. She wants to hear him say it again.

Emmie allows the smallest smile to grace her face as she whispers to herself, “You said my name…”

“Yeah, I did, dollface,” James adds with a smirk.

“Sorry…just the first time you said it. It…it sounded nice.”

“Well, good, get used to it _Emmie,” _James gives Emmie a wink.

Emmie’s cheeks turn beet red and she leans her head on his shoulder briefly, then sits back up.

Emmie feels a bit more relaxed and they fall into a peaceful lull in conversation. She uses this time to look back out onto the skyline and reflect on the last 10 days. Someway or another, James has wiggled his way into her life. He has been the best part of her time in Bucharest so far. She thinks back on their first meeting, him helping translate for her, her baking him cookies, his failed coffee attempt, and all of the smiles and laughs they have shared. She smiles softly to herself and thanks whoever is watching over her for putting James in her life. His mere presence has made her happier than she has been in the last year.

She still doesn’t know if he has had a good time tonight and she _really _wants to know. But she is too nervous to ask. How does he make her so nervous yet feel so calm at the same time?

James takes this time to admire Emmie, his soulmate. While she was looking out onto the city, he takes in all of her beauty from her profile. He can’t tell if seeing her in the city glow or the candle light from dinner was more stunning. Either way, he memorizes all of her features. Her perfectly shaped eyes that hold the most amount of love, her high cheekbones, her round cheeks, and her very kissable lips, which he can’t deny he’s thought about kissing all night long.

He hones in on her lips. He observes how they move with each breath as she takes a few breaths through her mouth. He can’t deny he’s thought about kissing her all night long.

Emmie bites the bullet and finally asks, “Did you enjoy your birthday tonight?”

“More than you’ll ever know doll,” he responds truthfully.

“Phew, okay, that’s good, tonight had me nervous. Wanted to make it special for you.”

“Anything is special with you around dollface.”

“Aha haha you might not say that later on,” Emmie says as she tries to brush off his compliment.

“We’ll see.” James nudges her shoulder with his.

They continue to look into each other’s eyes and Emmie can see James is thinking about something.

“James, I can tell something is on your mind. I’m willing to listen if you need to talk.”

James smiles at how perceptive she is. He thought he was keeping his emotions hidden, but apparently not anymore. And she is right, he is itching to ask her something ever since he saw her necklace, but is apprehensive to how she will respond.

“Thanks doll, I do have a question for you actually. But it is kinda personal.”

“Alright, ask away birthday boy.”

James steadies himself before speaking. “Do you have more than 1 soul mark?”

_Oh no, no no no. Not this. _Emmie can’t face the music with this again. But since he asked so calmly, what’s the harm in opening up to him. He was so kind, maybe he won’t judge her for it.

“Since it is your birthday-“

“Doll, stop, it’s okay if you don’t want to, I understand- “

“No, it’s fine. Like I’ve said before, you make me feel safe to talk about things. And to answer your question, yes I do. I have 2.”

Without being prompted, she brings her left hand from under the blanket and moves the sleeve up her arm to showcase the red star with the silver circle around it.

James gasps to himself. The confirmation he was needing. He desperately wants to hold her hand and touch his soul mark on her.

Emmie starts again as he takes in this special moment. “I’m not sure what it means, but every time I look at it, it reminds me that I am destined for love. It isn’t as recognizable as the other one so that gives me a little more peace too. I hope one day I get to meet this person.”

_If you only knew you already have, _he thinks to himself.

While Emmie was talking, James was doing his best to hold back the build up of tears. He feels his heart overwhelm with emotion at her words. She is marked for _life _with a communist symbol yet all she sees is love. He doesn’t understand how he is fated to be with someone like her.

If Steve were here, he’d be a crying mess. Just her presence makes him ache and miss Steve that much more, and wish that he was here to witness this moment.

James must have been quiet for too long because Emmie speaks up again, “James? Did I say something wrong and upset you?”

James blinks the tears away and huffs out a breath. “No doll, just brought up memories of someone.”

“Someone special I presume?”

“Yeah…yeah.”

“I didn’t mean to make you sad.” She goes to hold his right hand. When their hands touch, he can feel a small wave of electricity spark through his fingers. The only person he felt that twinge of electricity with is Steve. And how fitting that the hand he is holding has his soul mark. “But I hope I can be there for you. If you’d like of course.” Emmie rushes the last sentence out.

He looks down at their joined hands, “I’d really like that Emmie.”

Emmie feels so secure sitting next to him and warmth radiates from his hand into her body. She didn’t know if her doing that was too bold but he didn’t reject it. That makes her heart flutter.

“Maybe someday I can meet this special someone?” Emmie whispers with uneasiness. She doesn’t know why she said it but she wants to take steps to get closer to Bucky. Meeting special people in his life seems logical.

“Oh, I’ll make sure of that doll.” Bucky squeezes her hand gently. Now he is that much more motivated to find Steve one day.

Emmie smiles playfully up at him, “I’m holding you to that mister.”

They hold eye contact with each other a moment longer then breakout into laughter the next. Emmie throws her head back while James leans closer to her as he tries to mentally bottle up the sound of her laughter so he can listen to it forever. The sound of his soulmate. Utterly beautiful.

When Emmie calms down, she rests her head completely on his shoulder without any inkling of her moving away. She looks far out onto the city and takes in this precious moment she is sharing with James.

James has an urge to rest his head onto of her head but he doesn’t want to overwhelm her on the first night. Tonight has been extremely emotionally charged, in the best way, and he wants her to enjoy the night as much as he has. Plus he hasn’t even taken her on a proper date yet and he wants to make those intimate moments special for those occasions. Which brings him to his next question.

He’s not going to waste anymore time. He’s waited this long and he’s not going to wait another second longer.

“Doll?”

“Yeah James?” Emmie whispers heavenly.

One last deep breath. “Can I take you out sometime?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first date :)
> 
> Lots of fluff and the first flashback

Emmie can’t believe her ears. _Did he just ask me out on a date?_

Emmie turns to look up and whispers, “What?”

“Would you like to go out with me sometime Emmie?”

_God, there he goes again calling me by my name_.

“Like…like on a date?”

“Yeah…would that be okay?” James is starting to reconsider this decision. Now he is afraid he over stepped and read too much into their interactions.

Emmie is beside herself. She can’t believe that James is asking her out on a date. A _date._ She can’t believe that he is interested in her. It seems too good to be true. _Are his intentions true?_

Emmie is still grasping at why he would want to. She asks hesitantly, “You…you want to take me out on a date?”

Emmie’s reaction is showing James that she might not have a lot of experience with dating.

“Yeah doll, if you’ll let me?”

Emmie still doesn’t get it. “But…but why?”

Her nervousness is causing James anxiety but he has to stay strong. This is his _soulmate_ and he is _never _going to give up on her. There is obviously much more that meets the eye with Emmie and her romantic past.

“Because I want to. I want to show you a good time.” James truly means every word.

_He wants to?_ Those are words she has been waiting to hear her whole life.

James can feel his palms start to sweat while he is waiting for her answer until he finally hears her barely whisper. He’s thankful for that super soldier hearing.

“That would be really nice.”

“Really?” James is shocked that she agreed to go with him. But grateful nonetheless.

She finally focuses her gaze on him and smiles softly while she nods. _This is happening. _It’s _really _happening!

~~

**First Date**

James feels déjà vu as he approaches Emmie’s apartment. This time he is more nervous. He wants to prove to Emmie tonight that he is more than just a friend. He wants to treat his soulmate right.

_Soulmate!_ He can’t believe he is saying those words again. He found his pineapple and he isn’t letting her go ever.

He was so nervous that he got to her place 15 minutes early. He didn’t want to go up too early, so he has now found himself pacing the sidewalk as he talks himself up mentally.

He has a simple night planned for her tonight, a movie and then ice cream after. That was something he remembered from before the war and is easy enough to start with. He could do this, it’s just a date. How much different could dating be these days?

~~

Her first date with James is tonight and Emmie is an anxious mess. She has been in her head all day and is now currently pacing in front of her open closet with Yvonne seating on the bed worried over her niece.

Emmie has been deciding what to wear for the past 30 minutes. Yvonne has been trying to calm down her niece and reassure her that tonight should be more exciting rather than anxiety-provoking.

“Sweetie, you want to tell me what is really bothering you?”

Emmie continues to pace and can feel her eyes strain with the build up of her emotions as memories plague her of her insecurities.

“So much, Auntie. Too much. I don’t know how to explain it all.”

“Well, just tell me whatever comes to mind first and go from there. But first, can you join me on the bed and let’s work on slowing your breathing down? I don’t want you to have a panic attack.”

“Okay…” Emmie responds meekly and walks over to the bed. Yvonne holds out her hands and when Emmie grabs them, Yvonne guides her over to the middle of the bed. Yvonne starts to rub Emmie’s knuckles with her thumbs as she brings her hands to her chest and starts to sway in her spot while taking slow breaths for Emmie to imitate.

This time when Yvonne finally calms Emmie down, there are a few tears that leak from her eyes. There is so much going through her head and she can’t seem to sort it out or slow it down.

“I’m just so scared Auntie.”

“Of what, my sweet girl?”

Emmie sighs heavily, “This is the first date I’m going on in over 3 years and I don’t know what to do or how to act and I want it to go so well but I’m afraid I’m going to screw it up.”

“Can I tell you what I think?” Yvonne waits for confirmation before continuing. Emmie nods. “Well, I’ll tell you what I see. I see two people who are 2 peas in a pod, who have become close friends in such a short time span. You have already created a special bond and he likes you enough to want to take you on a date. You don’t have to impress him anymore. I want you to turn the tables and think more along the lines of, is he impressing you? Is he doing enough to make you feel special?”

_Damn, Auntie is right. _That completely changes the perspective and how to go about tonight.

“Wow Auntie, how did you get so smart?” Emmie gives a half-hearted smile. Yvonne can tell there is something still on her mind.

“Emmie…what else is bothering you?”

There is no point in hiding anything from Yvonne. Emmie decides to open up more, because this was the real issue deep down. “Do you think James’ intentions are true? That he really does _want_ to take me out on a date?”

“Oh sweet heavens, yes sweetie. The way that boy looks at you, there isn’t any more evidence needed to why he wouldn’t want to.”

Emmie solemnly nods. She’s not sure she believes her Auntie. Too many past incidences. But the most hurtful one comes straight to mind.

“Auntie…did I ever tell you about Brad?”

~~

_*4 years ago*_

_It’s 5:30pm on a Tuesday and Emmie and Katie are finally out of work and settling down into seats at their go-to taco joint, Big Star._

_Emmie finally feels like she can take a breath from a long, strenuous day at work. Work has been beyond crazy busy, plus she isn’t coping with the office drama well at all. Honestly, that is taking most of the toll on her and her emotional well-being is at its tipping point. Emmie thinks she just needs to blow off steam. Preferably would like to get laid but that isn’t really an option right now. Going through a real rough dry spell at the moment._

_Katie pulls Emmie out of her thoughts as she slings her arm around Emmie’s shoulders. “Girl, you work too hard.”_

_“Oh I know Katie, but I gotta pay my bills and this is a good resume builder so I just need to keep plugging along.”_

_“Nope. No shop talk. You know our rule. It’s past 5pm so I am getting you a tequila shot with your tacos tonight because you need it. I can see it ALL over your face.”_

_“Katie noooo, you know what tequila does to me.”_

_“Which is EXACTLY why you need it.”_

_“If I take it, will you stop bugging me about it?”_

_“Meh, probably not.”_

_Emmie gives up on it, because at this point, she agrees with Katie. She needs the drink. “Oh what the hell, get me some tequila.”_

_Katie yells down the bar, “Joe! 2 shots of tequila!”_

_Oh no, Emmie knows she is in for it tonight. _

_Joe slides the tequila shots in front of you two with 2 slices of limes and a salt shaker. _

_“Bottoms up bitches!” Katie screams loud into the restaurant like it is midnight on a Friday. Thank god she knows the owner, or they would have thrown your asses out._

_Both of you lick the salt off the back of your hand near your thumb, down the tequila shot, and suck on the lime as hard as you can. The acidity of the lime helps tame the burn from the tequila but you already know tonight will be a doozy. And it’s only a Tuesday._

_“So…babes…you’ve been single for way too long and I might know a guy who is interested. What do you think?”_

_“Katieeeeee. God I knew you were gonna drop somethin’ on me.”_

_“Oh please, you know you need tonight as much as I do. Plus, you need the D real bad.”_

_“Do not!”_

_“Do too!”_

_Emmie relents, “Okay fine, I do.”_

_“YAS! I win. Ok, so his name is Brad. Super hot. Works in finance. Our age. Single too. Said he’s down to meet.”_

_“Katie, he sounds like a douche. Why him? What’s the catch?”_

_“None. I swear. He wants to meet you.”_

_“Ugh fine, I guess you can set it up.”_

_“Great! Because he is walking over here right now.”_

_Emmie rolls her eyes, “Of course he is. Order me another shot so I can get through this.”_

_Emmie clinks her shot glass with Katie’s and clinks the bottom of it on the bar and then downs the tequila. No chaser this time. Bad idea all around._

_Katie turns Emmie to her left and there he is, a beautiful tall, muscular, sharply dressed boy leaning against the countertop with a smirky smile and a teasing glint in his green eyes. He looks like a beefier version of Jake Gyllenhaal. _

_Emmie’s mouth drops open and she stares wantonly._

_Wow, Katie wasn’t kidding, he is hot, fuck me, Emmie thinks to herself._

_This guy knows he’s hot and knows Emmie is checking him out. He gives her the elevator eyes as well in acknowledgment of her staring as he approaches the two women. Katie leans over to Emmie, “I’ll leave you to it.” She gets out of her seat and leaves._

_“You must be Emmie. I’m Brad.”_

3 months later…

_Emmie is laying in her bed with Brad panting after they just finished a quickie during lunch._

_Out of nowhere, Brad says, “Emmie, I can’t do this anymore.” _

_“Can’t do what anymore?”_

_“I can’t keep this up and pretend to see you anymore?”_

_“What do you mean _pretend_ to see me?!” Emmie sits up straighter in the bed and brings the sheets with her to cover her body. “I thought this was going well…”_

_Brad sighs and runs a hand over his face. “Wow, you really didn’t know? I thought Katie told you…”_

_“Tell me what?”_

_Brad stalls. He doesn’t know how to say this. “Katie and your mom have been paying me to see you.”_

~~

Yvonne mumbles under her breath, “My no good, rotten bitch of a sister—"

“What was that Auntie?”

“Nothing dear, but let me reassure you, karma is coming for Katie, Brad, and your mom. What they did is unacceptable and I’m truly sorry they have made you suffer from their actions, where you are constantly second guessing everything something is doing or saying. That explains why you’re nervous about tonight.”

Emmie starts to cry at how perceptive her Auntie is. Tears fall down her cheeks slowly as her shoulders begin to shake. “Do you think he would do something like that to me?”

Yvonne shakes her head no. “I have no doubt he is being truthful with you. James is a good man. But if he isn’t, Marius and I will deal with him accordingly.”

“Thank you Auntie, for always being there for me.” Emmie throws her arms around Yvonne and snuggles close.

“Always, my sweetness, now let’s finish getting ready. He should be here within the hour.”

Yvonne frowns at the thought that her niece hides a lot of what she has gone through. She just hopes she can be strong enough tonight to enjoy her date.

~~

James can’t wait a second longer to be with his soulmate and finally knocks on the door. He steps back from the door patiently this time and luckily hears footsteps approaching the door. He places both hands behind his back while he waits.

When the door swings open, his smile drops briefly because it isn’t his doll.

Marius smiles at James, “Good to see you cleaned up for her.”

James blushes, “I gotta look good for my girl on our first date.”

“Good man, James.” Marius shifts to the right where he sees some pink sticking out from behind him. “And I see you didn’t come empty handed.”

James smirks at the compliment, glad his small surprise was recognized. “Wouldn’t dream of not bringing her something.”

“Please, come in.” Marius ushers James into the apartment and leads him into the kitchen. “She is still getting ready and don’t let her know I told you this, but she is very excited you asked her on a date.”

“I’m just glad she accepted,” James admits honestly with a shy smile.

“Emmie! My sweet girl, your date is here.”

The men immediately hear a response, “Coming Uncle Mar! Almost done.”

James smiles at hearing her voice. He has missed her.

Marius turns back to James and stares straight into his eyes. “While I still have a moment alone with you…if you hurt my niece, even the tiniest bit, you will answer to me. If she is anything but happy for the_ briefest_ moment, you will have to get your coffee and produce elsewhere in town. And you won’t be welcome in this community anymore.”

James is about to chuckle at him but studies Marius for a moment and realizes that he is 100% serious. Glad he didn’t laugh, as he wants to be in everyone’s good graces. He especially doesn’t want to go elsewhere for coffee. Marius has the best stuff in town.

“Wasn’t planning on it, sir,” James speaks with reverence. Honestly, James is proud of Marius for being protective over you. He’s happy you have him and Yvonne to look out for you.

The two men both nod at each other and turn their heads towards the hallway where they hear the _click, clack, click, clack _of high heels.

James’ heart stops as his eyes finally settle on his date. And he knows he’s one lucky son of a bitch.

~~

Emmie finally decided on an outfit that made her feel pretty and like herself. Something feminine but also comfortable, where it hides some areas of her body she isn’t too proud of. She is wearing a maroon colored sweater with a black skirt, black tights, her brown lace up heel boots, and a white scarf. It is still chilly out so she wants to be warm but first date appropriate too.

This outfit made her feel confident and she was ready to go meet her dream guy for their first date.

“Emmie! My sweet girl, your date is here.” The women hear Marius yell out to them.

“Remember, just be yourself tonight sweetie. And enjoy yourself. I can’t wait to hear all the details later.” Yvonne giggles at the last part.

Emmie nods, she is feeling much better after their heart to heart earlier. And Auntie is right, James has been nothing but good to her since they have met. She needs to trust that he will continue to that do the same tonight.

“Coming Uncle Mar! Almost done.”

With that, Emmie and Yvonne leave Emmie’s bedroom. Emmie leads the way down the hall to the kitchen and she fidgets with her hair and her sleeves, making sure her soul marks are covered. A nervous habit she hasn’t been able to break.

When she looks up as she reaches the kitchen, her breath hitches. There stands James with a bouquet of pink roses in all his beautiful glory.

His long locks are set behind his ears, showcasing his beautifully high and pronounced cheekbones. His blue eyes are staring straight into hers, with a mixture of adoration and shyness. A rosy color appears on his cheeks as he realizes she is staring right back at him with a shy smile of her own.

“You look so beautiful doll,” James admits.

Emmie blushes profusely, “Thanks James.”

“Oh…uh these are for you.” James hands the bouquet over to Emmie.

“Thank you, James, these are beautiful.” Emmie brings the bouquet up to her nose to smell the scent that are roses. One of her favorite scents. But how did he know she liked pink roses?

“Not as beautiful as you though.” James knew it was cheesy, but he couldn’t help it. It was true.

Emmie looks back up to him and smiles gently. _How did she get a man who is so nice to her? _She studies his eyes and his kind ambiance when he is around her. She truly hopes he is being honest with her in his intentions. She can’t take any more lies.

Yvonne reaches for Marius to join her behind Emmie so they can have their adorable moment. Every moment she sees between these two obvious lovebirds gives her more evidence who they are to each other and it warms her heart immensely.

“Did Yvonne tell you I love pink roses?”

“Marius actually.”

“I’ll have to thank him. And tell him he is forgiven.”

Marius smirks to Yvonne, grateful that Emmie is such a kind soul. But they have a date to get to and she’s pretty sure that they could stare into each other’s eyes for the remainder of the night if they wanted to. So she gently coughs to pull their attention out of their bubble.

Emmie flinches slightly and comes back to reality. Yvonne walks up to her and says, “Here let me take those and put them in a vase for you. You two need to get going on your night out.”

“Oh yes thanks Auntie. Can you put them in my room on my windowsill please?”

James internally turns to mush. She wants the flowers near her bed, where she can see them all the time. It makes him feel so special, and he’s glad he brought her flowers. She deserves it and so much more.

“Of course, now go! Go have fun.”

Yvonne quickly escorts the two to the door. James has his right hand on the lower part of her back protectively. Emmie kisses Yvonne and Marius goodnight as they head on out.

~~

The walk to the movie theater was rather peaceful. James had Emmie’s left hand tucked into his right arm and keeps her close the entire walk. They weren’t far from the local cinema and this gave James an extra excuse to show Emmie how he can be a gentleman. Even though he isn’t having the most gentlemanly thoughts…especially with how her black skirt sways back and forth with every step in her heels. The skirt sits right at the perfect point on her waist and falls down right above her knees, enough for him to see her thick thighs. He can’t wait to have those thighs around his—

_Get a grip on yourself_, James thinks. He can’t think of such sinful thoughts this soon on the date or he won’t be able to make it.

They talk about their days since Emmie didn’t work at the farm stand in the morning. James loves how it is always easy conversation with her. She is such an engaged conversationalist and is an active listener, something he admires deeply about her. He feels like she truly is invested in him and the things he has to say. She makes him feel like he matters.

Emmie is excited when they walk up to the theater as she hasn’t seen a movie in over a month. She loves going to the movies, she’s even gone by herself on several occasions. But she much prefers enjoying a film with someone else. This is her first time seeing one with James and she is bouncing with joy.

Emmie cheers with happiness when he suggests Zootopia. She finds it endearing how he gives her a reasoning for choosing this film because of their shared love for animals over their daily animal gifs and videos.

When James orders the tickets, Emmie goes to pull her wallet out to pay her share, but James gives her a stern shake of his head.

“But—"

“No doll, I asked you out, this is my treat.”

“Okay, if you insist James.”

“Oh, I do. If I didn’t, my Ma would smack me.”

Emmie laughs as she clutches tighter to James’ arm. He likes how she physically responds to him, even in such a simple way.

As he pays for the tickets, Emmie sees his wallet and the small photo that she gave him for his birthday, in the spot where a drivers license would be with the clear covering protecting it. Emmie beams up at James, realizing that he actually put it in his wallet. She is much more secure in her gift now.

James knows she saw the picture in his wallet. “Now you’re always with me…I put it in my wallet the moment I got home that night.”

“You did? That makes me really happy James.” Emmie smiles at him authentically.

“It makes me happy too doll. It was a really thoughtful gift.” James flexes his bicep and smiles sweetly back at her. That makes her blush. He loves making her blush. 

“And James? Can we also get some popcorn? It’s kinda a thing for me, I can’t watch a movie without popcorn.”

“Of course. Anything you want doll.”

“With extra butter and salt? Pretty please?”

She looks up at him, pleading for something so simple and a sly smile on her face. He loves it when she gets playful. It means she is comfortable, and he is happy that he is the cause of that at the moment. And he can’t deny her beautiful face looking up at him like that. He just can’t.

“Way ahead of you doll.” Emmie snuggles into his side at that with a wide smile. It astounds him how such a simple gesture brings a smile to her face. He wants to keep it that way.

They finally make their way into the theater and James decides to sit on the left side so his gloved hand is harder to see and hidden closer to the wall. He wants Emmie on his right side for as long as he can.

The two settle into their seats and Emmie has been a bit quiet. She has the popcorn resting on her lap but her right leg is jittering up and down too much. James can tell something is bothering her. Was this the right choice for a date? A first date that is?

“Doll, everything alright?”

Emmie doesn’t even look up she is so nervous. She mutters into the popcorn, “Just nervous is all. This is my first date in a really long time.”

James can’t believe that. Why would someone like her not be going on lots of first dates? To him, she is incredibly stunning.

He nudges her knee with his to get her complete attention. She finally looks up at him. “Would you believe me if I told you this is my first date in a really long time too?”

Emmie gives him a half-smile as she shakes her head, “Not really.”

“Oh and why is that dollface?”

She blushes softly before responding, “You’re too pretty to not go on lots of dates.”

As soon as Emmie said it, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand in disbelief. She can’t believe she just said that _out loud._ She is mortified. Now she can’t even look at him.

He mentally smirks at her answer as he doesn’t want his reaction to ruin the moment. James taps his knee again to hers and lifts his finger to bring her chin up so he can look her in her eyes. He wants to make sure that she believes him when he says it.

“Well guess what?”

“Hm?”

“I think you’re really pretty too Emmie.”

Emmie’s cheeks redden but she doesn’t look away. She brings her hand to rest on his wrist that is still holding her chin. “Yeah?”

James responds with a genuine smile, “Oh yeah doll, the prettiest.”

Emmie rubs her thumb up and down his wrist for a moment as she takes in the compliment. And she can see he means it. There is conviction in his eyes.

The lights in the theater dim as the previews start. “Previews! Yay the best part,” Emmie says as she shifts to face towards the screen and lets go of his wrist. They sit close and she smiles to herself.

James decides to be brave and moves his arm around the back of Emmie’s seat.

She feels the movement and smiles gently. She snuggles up into his shoulder and looks up at his face to find he is already looking down at her. She continues smiling at him, happy that he didn’t waste half the movie deciding if he should put his arm around her or lamely yawn as an excuse to do so.

Emmie is soaking in the closeness she is sharing with James. He feels so safe and warm, and wants nothing more than to stay wrapped up in his strong arms. He gives off this protective vibe where she knows if anything bad were to happen, he’d be there. When the movie finally starts, she feels his thumb rub in circles on her shoulder and she releases a happy sigh. This is going much better than she anticipated.

Half way through the movie, Emmie gets annoyed by the uncomfortable arm rest between her and James. She sits up briefly, which causes James to frown slightly, worried he’d done something wrong. But she moves to push the arm rest back completely so nothing is impeding their movie cuddles.

James’ smile widens, _smart woman_. Why hadn’t he thought of that?

Emmie snuggles even closer up to James, if it was even possible. She lifts her head to look up into his bright eyes that are illuminated by the lights from the screen. She feels nervous that she initiated it and that it might be too forward for James, as all he has done is hold her hand thus far.

Emmie whispers up to James, “Is this okay? Sorry the arm rest was just digging into my side…”

James clenches his jaw. He’s mad he didn’t realize sooner. No wonder she was uncomfortable, leaning over onto him with that thing poking into her side. He rubs her shoulder more to reassure her.

“It’s perfect doll.” James pulls her closer into him. Emmie blushes with a sweet smile and looks back towards the screen, then she feels James place his cheek on her head and she can’t handle the giddiness she is feeling. She really wants to hold his hand but doesn’t want to push it, but she is very content with their cuddling right now. It’s honestly more than she expected.

Throughout the movie, James keeps his focus mainly on Emmie. He adores how she reacts so purely to everything; from suspense scenes that make her jump in her seat, to how she laughs so heartily at the adult jokes, to how her eyes mist at tear jerker parts, and then in the end how she hums along to the energetic song. Everything about her persona makes him feel good inside.

The movie finally ends and he is disappointed that their cuddle time is ending too. He loves being curled up next to her. He doesn’t let go of her yet and he doesn’t see her making any move to leave either.

“Doll?”

Emmie looks up to him, “Yeah James?”

“How about some ice cream?”

“Eeeeeeee!” Emmie giggles and he can feel the vibrations on his shoulder and throughout his body. No sweeter sound or better feeling than this. “I never say no to ice cream.”

“Good, I know just the place.”

Emmie claps her hands together in joy as they move to sit up and make their way out of the theater.

~~

As the two sit in the back corner of the ice cream shop, James can’t stop admiring the woman in front of him. She is going to town on her chocolate peanut butter ice cream while he is slowly sipping a cookies n’ cream milkshake. He notices how she is more willing to eat ice cream in front of him than she did the cake on his birthday. Come to think of it, this is the most he has ever seen her eat. Ice cream must be one of her weaknesses. Maybe she’s self-conscious about eating in front of him? But why would she be?

Just then, Emmie takes a big lick of her ice cream but a little bit is left on the corner of her lips. She doesn’t seem to notice because she goes in for another bite and notices James is looking at her with a funny expression.

“James, what is it?”

“You got a lil something on your face doll.”

“Ah shit, that’s so embarrassing. And now I’ve gone and cursed in front of you.” She goes to grab napkin and mumbles under her breath, “I’m definitely not gonna get a second date now. Fuck me.”

James almost chokes on his sip at her words. He coughs to help his mind calm down. She already wants a second date? Thank god. He must be doing something right then. This gives him hope. And hopefully one day he can be physical with her, as he has envisioned _being _with her on several occasions.

Emmie is failing at wiping off the ice cream, “Doll, the other side.”

She moves her hand and misses again. “Higher doll.”

She goes too high this time. “Let me.” James reaches towards her face and he sees her eyes widen at his advance. He doesn’t want to scare her, just wants to help. He asks with a shy smile, “May I?”

Emmie gives him a small nod and he reaches his flesh hand towards her mouth and he notices Emmie holds her breath while he softly touches her face.

When he pulls his hand back, the ice cream is sitting on his thumb. He stares Emmie down and brings it to his mouth and licks his finger free of it. His voice drops to a deep husky tone, “Yum, delicious.”

Emmie’s mouth gapes open at his words and she is somewhat _so turned on right now._ She didn’t expect tonight to get erotic at all yet, it did. Did he mean to make that incredibly sexual? If so, he seems to already know what turns her on.

Her heart is pounding, and she can feel all the blood in her body move down to her core. She doesn’t know how he makes her want him with the smallest of actions. It is so sensual but also terrifying how he can get under her skin so easily.

James immediately saw her physical reaction to his words as he her face flushes and there is a shift in the air around her. There is a distinct smell now. Coming from _her._ His nostrils flare at the sweet smell and he can see how wound up she can get. He hopes one day he can explore that with her.

Emmie finally comes out of her thoughts and blushes under James’s gaze. They finish their ice cream and briefly talk about the movie. Both of them can feel how the tension has changed between them but neither are willing to say anything about it.

As they leave the ice cream shop, James offers Emmie her right arm again and she gladly latches on. She then places her right hand on his forearm and draws her closer into him. She scolds herself for not wearing something warmer but at the same time, it has given her a good excuse to snuggle up to him.

They walk the short distance back to her apartment. There has been one question on James’ mind since the movie. He is nervous to ask but he also feels like he needs to know as they just had their first date.

“Doll? Can I ask you something?”

Emmie looks up at him sweetly. “Ask away.”

“Is…is Emmie a nickname?” He asks her tentatively.

Emmie sighs, she knew this was going to come up eventually. She somehow feels at peace telling him and doesn’t feel embarrassed.

She looks at where their arms are connected and says quietly, “Amelia.”

James tries it out, “_Amelia?_”

“Yes, that’s my birth name. I actually legally changed it to Emmie when I turned 18. But my mother still calls me by it.” Emmie scowls at that last part.

James sees her angry visceral reaction about her mother. Definitely a sore spot there. He will have to tread lightly with that. But Emmie’s name transports him back in time and it makes him smile. She is just full of surprises.

“Well, I think it’s a beautiful name. And Amelia fits you.”

Emmie is surprised by him, “You think?”

“Not I think, I know…Amelia.”

Emmie blushes fiercely at the way he says her name. Amelia has always been associated with her mother and with painful memories, but the way the name falls off his tongue and out of his mouth, it’s like he is caressing her soul so gently with his entire being. She decides she likes him calling her Amelia.

“Well, it’s your lucky day. I will make an exception for you and allow you to call me Amelia on special occasions.”

James is ecstatic she is lowering her walls for him. It may be something trivial but to him, he knows this is a big step in the right direction.

James pushes her a little more, “What are these special occasions doll?”

“I trust you to use it at your discretion. It’ll be our little secret. Deal?”

“Deal, dollface.”

They share a moment of pure sweet adoration for each other. Emmie just gave James more of her trust and he isn’t going to do anything to jeopardize it.

They finally make it to her apartment building, and he walks her inside and up to her door. Emmie doesn’t want this night to end. Truthfully, she has loved every minute and hasn’t had a nice first date like this in a long time. They separate as they stand in the hallway.

Emmie doesn’t know what to do or what to say so she mumbles out the first thing that comes to mind, “Well, this is me.” She points to the apartment door.

James chuckles freely. “I know doll. Did you forget?”

Emmie shakes her head and face palms. “Right, stupid me.”

“Far from stupid doll. Far from it.”

She looks down at her hands and fiddles with her fingers. “Well thank you for a really nice night James.”

James takes a hesitant step forward. “My pleasure Emmie. Did you enjoy yourself?”

Emmie looks up into his beautiful blue eyes. She knows if she stares for any longer, she won’t be able to look away. “More than you’ll know.”

James lifts his right hand to her face and holds her chin gently. She instinctively moves closer and places her hands delicately on his jacket above his chest.

James whispers to her, his lips right above hers. She can feel his warm breath on her face and the butterflies race around in her stomach. She can feel her soul mark on her left wrist tingle again. It’s a mix of a light tickle and electricity storming through her. Emmie gulps at what is about to come next.

“Can I kiss you Amelia?”

_Oh no. _Emmie is scared to be honest, because Brad made a move on her the first night. So did Henry. She doesn’t want this to happen. James is too good and she wants to see if his intentions are true. If they kiss right now, then it will eventually end.

But Emmie can see how soft James is being with her. No one has ever _asked_ to kiss her before. It might seem antiquated, but she really appreciates how he is giving her the power to decide if she wants to kiss him.

Deep down, there is nothing more that she wants than to kiss him, but she’s scared. She is scared of the consequences and what will happen after the kiss. This ultimately wins out and she breaks eye contact with him and lowers her forehead to his chest. She didn’t realize how her breathing had picked up and she is trying to slow her heart rate down while she stands against his chest.

James is disappointed, as he obviously wants to kiss her, but he doesn’t want to rush her and make her uncomfortable.

He moves his right hand to pet her hair in hopes that he comforts her worries. He wraps his other arm around her waist to hold her steady. “I’m sorry my sweet girl, was that too fast? I didn’t mean-“

At that, Emmie raises her head to look at his worried face. She notices how he called her my sweet girl, like her aunt and uncle do. She wants him to say that again too. Wow this boy is ruining her one word at a time.

“No, James, it’s not that. Just the past is haunting me. And I just have this silly rule that I don’t like to kiss on the first date. It…it just has always led to more and I am not ready for that right now. I’m sorry. But I really want to. Please trust that. Just…just not tonight.”

James moves his right hand to cup her cheek and starts to rub his thumb across her cheekbone to calm her. He eyes close at this sensation and a shy smile appears on her face. He really likes how she reacts to him and his touch.

“Never apologize for that Amelia. I want you to feel secure with me and in this. I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

Emmie can’t believe her ears. _No one_ has ever been this sweet to her. She never wants this moment to end.

“Thank you James.”

Emmie leans her head down on his muscular chest again and slithers her arms around his waist and holds firm. He feels so _safe_. How did she find such a man as good as him?

James hugs her back where he holds the back of her neck and pulls her waist close to him. He has waited all his life to have her in his arms. His soulmate is in his arms. He can feel her heart slow down and he smiles at how he can calm her down.

Emmie takes one more breath in his arms and then lets go but keeps her hands on his sides underneath his ribs. “Thank you again for this. I hope I was a good date tonight.”

Emmie waits nervously for his response but without a beat he responds, “You were perfect dollface. I’d love to take you out again if you’ll have me.”

Emmie softly rubs her hands on his back. “I’d really like that James.”

James smiles widely and pets her hair one more time before resting his forehead on hers and closing his eyes. He whispers to her, “Good, thank you Emmie, for tonight. I won’t ever forget it.”

They stay in each other’s arms for what feels like forever but is no longer than another 10 seconds.

James lifts his head off her forehead and shifts to the side and delicately places his lips in a gentle kiss on her cheek. He lingers for a moment and takes in her supple cheek and her floral and vanilla perfume.

James releases Emmie’s cheek and looks down at her with every ounce of adoration he has. “Good night my Amelia. Sweet dreams.”

Emmie can’t breathe as he pulls away. She just nods because she knows she will only mumble something unintelligible.

James moves his hand off her cheek and goes to hold her left hand. He brings it slowly up to his lips and looks deep into her eyes as he kisses the back of her hand.

He releases her hand and steps further down the hall. “Until next time doll.”

James walks to the elevator and ponders on if he should have brought up being her soulmate. He wants to be truthful and up front with her but dropping that big piece of information on her on their first date just felt overwhelming and possibly intimidating for her. He wants to continue going on dates and building a solid foundation before revealing this to her. As he descends in the elevator, he starts to think of the next date he is going to take his doll on.

Emmie is glued to the floor. She brings her right hand to her chest and finds her heart racing once again. But it brings the most genuine smile and she knows _she’s in deep._ She has got it bad for this boy. Hopefully he doesn’t play games with her like the past guys have. She doesn’t want to be made claim to someone so early, especially so soon, after one date. She hasn’t met her soulmate yet and doesn’t want another big heartbreak. She’s not sure she can handle that again. Emmie knows she is going to have to pace herself with her emotions while being with James.

But now it’s time to vent to Auntie about the best first date she’s ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading lovelies! Let me know your thoughts on this chapter. Thank you for all the continued support and love! I'm loving writing this story
> 
> Happy holidays <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More fluff and feelings on their second date :)

“Can you _please_ tell me where we’re going?”

James chuckles and turns to look at Emmie. “No doll, I want it to be a surprise.”

“But…whyyyyy,” Emmie whines.

James smiles devilishly at her eagerness. “Because.”

“_Because? _Seriously?! Pft. That is the lamest answer ever.” She lets out an exasperated sigh, crosses her arms in aggravation, and rolls her eyes at him.

“Sorry dollface.” James laughs cheekily at how impatient she is. “But I’m trying to do something romantic for my girl.”

There it is again. _My girl._ Emmie softly smiles at his choice of words. She looks down in her lap, pondering over why he is calling her his. She likes how he says it but isn’t sure what is possessing him to stake claim. _Why her? _They’ve only been on one full date so far and they haven’t even kissed yet.

Then an idea popped in her head. If he wants to tease, so can she.

And since he has called her his, she might as well milk that for what it is worth.

She turns her body towards him and places her left hand on his bicep. His thick, muscular arms are covered by his black leather jacket, and both his hands are at 10 and 2 on the wheel, both gloved.

When Emmie sets her hand on his arm, he stills. Her touch excites him yet calms him simultaneously.

He steadies himself and then raises his right eye brow in question, as he turns his gaze slightly towards her.

Emmie starts to rub her hand softly up and over his bicep, back and forth. After a few moments, she starts to run that hand down his forearm, nice and slow. Her fingers are gliding down his arm inch by inch and she looks up to see his face. His jaw is clenched, and his eyes are glued to the road. She can feel his chest rise and fall just a tad faster as her hand approaches his on the wheel.

Emmie smirks to herself as she looks back at his arm. She slinks her hand further down his forearm until it reaches his wrist. She then spreads her fingers on the back of his hand and they follow the lines of his rough, strong fingers. Slowly and delicately, hers reach his knuckles and stop where they are resting on top. She holds for a moment and then she moves her fingers to fit in between the spaces of his fingers. Emmie grasps his hand lightly as she turns her head once more to view his profile.

She can visibly see and hear him gulp. She _has_ him.

“Heyya James?” Emmie asks sickeningly sweetly.

James can’t speak, as he knows his voice will crack. “Hm?”

Emmie starts to rub her fingers along his knuckles again. She moves her head right next to his ear and whispers softly, “Will you pretty please, tell me where we are going and what we are doing? With cherries on top?” She over pronounces the p to make her point.

James is using everything in him not to shake. The hairs on his arms stand straight up and goose bumps litter his skin. His mouth is agape where he is working on taking slow deep breaths, in hopes to slow his arousal.

He closes his eyes and tries to not see her pressed up against him and touching him in the sultry way that she is. It surprises him how much and how easily she can get under his skin.

He decides to use her touch on him hand to settle his nerves. He was friggin Bucky Barnes before the war, he has some type of charming skills hidden somewhere…

James takes one last deep breath as he turns his head to look her in the eyes, “As much as I like cherries dollface, my lips are sealed on this.” He sees her frown and huff out a sigh and he uses that to look back out on the road. He sighs in relief. “Besides, we’re here.” He nods his head forwards as he puts the car in park.

Emmie turns her head towards the hood of the car and softly gasps. What she sees is something that stuns her silent.

What lies in front of her is an open expanse of water with the colorful clouds reflecting on the calm lake. The clouds above remind her of cotton candy, all fluffy and soft. Clouds so soft that she could imagine being wrapped up in.

Emmie’s eyes crinkle as she sweetly smiles at the view ahead. _He’s stepping up his game tonight._

She turns to him and places her hand on his. “How did you know I love the water? And that I am a sucker for sunsets?”

James is internally screaming with joy that he hit the nail on the head with tonight. He was worried taking her further away from town on their second date might put her off. But apparently she seems all for it.

James blushes at her touch, “Just had a hunch dollface.” Emmie blushes, he can’t get enough of her blush. “C’mon, I got a lil surprise for you.” James nods his head towards the lake. “But let me get your door for you.”

“No, it’s okay James—”

“Doll, let me do this for you. Please. My ma raised me to be a gentleman.”

Emmie gives in and nods, she can see him pleading. Secretly she loves how he dotes on her. No one has ever been so kind and wanted to be gentle with her. It’s a fresh, welcomed change.

~~

Emmie is so happy. She feels spoiled yet undeserving of what James is doing for her tonight. James had brought a backpack with him when he got her out of the car and with him, he had 2 blankets, wine, an assortment of cheese, apples, and crackers. He even was smart enough to get the same wine from his birthday dinner.

She has never had a picnic as a date before. With someone she likes nonetheless. Especially with someone like James. And so far, she really wants to have another picnic with him. It’s going that well.

Emmie is sat next to James, on his right, _again._ She really needs to find out why that is.

Her legs are crossed with her feet under her knees, as James sits very close with his legs extended in front of him and he’s leaning back with his arms behind him on the blanket to support him. From this angle, he can see her beautiful face perfectly. He still can’t get over how he lucked out with not one, but _two_ gorgeous soulmates.

He stares at Emmie’s profile as she eats an apple and a slice of cheese. She hums with satisfaction at the mix of flavors. James is proud at how he is continuing to make her smile.

Emmie takes one last sip of her wine and then sets it down on the blanket. She looks back up to James, who is already looking at her, and she gets lost in his gaze. His pupils widen as they take her in but soften at the bashful look she is giving him. James grabs her hand and gives her an encouraging squeeze. He can tell she wants to say something.

“Can I ask you something James?”

“Anything doll.”

“You sure? It’s kind of personal and I don’t wanna sour the mood we have right now.”

“Go for it doll.”

“Alright…well…Um, there’s something I’ve noticed every time we are together, especially when we are,” Emmie motions with her hands between her and James, “physically close. You only have me on your right side…is that for a reason? I’m just curious…”

James was _not_ expecting that. He was hoping he would get away with his trick for a few more dates but it seems his doll is more observant than he thought. He appreciates that in her. It makes him wonder what else she has noticed so far.

His pause in talking makes Emmie squirm and she speaks again, “I’m sorry, that seemed to have hit a nerve. I shouldn’t have brought it up. Shit I’m sorry, I’m so bad at this, I never know when to ask things on dates. Wow now I’m rambling—”

“Emmie,” James moves his hand from hers to her knee in an effort to calm her. “It’s okay. I just didn’t expect that question. Didn’t realize you caught onto that so quickly. You just didn’t give me enough time to respond,” he says with a smirk at the end.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, I totally get it. It’s only the second date—”

“Doll, stop, please. I…I want to tell you. It’s just from a very dark part in my life and I want to word it correctly.”

“You sure James?”

“No, but you make me feel safe too.” The same words she spoke to him. And she really did. James felt safe opening up to her…to an extent. He will never give her all the gory details of his past but for some reason, he knows he could trust her with anything.

Emmie is elated he has those same feelings with her. It is so important for her that the person she is with feels safe. That’s how relationships should work. At least that’s what she believes.

“I just want you to know that whatever you decide to tell me, stays between us. I value not only our friendship but…wherever _this_ is. The time we share is very special to me and I hold those moments near and dear to me. I hope I create a space safe enough for you to feel free enough to express your truest thoughts and feelings with me without feeling judged.” Emmie takes another breath and then finishes her thought, “I’ve always wanted that with someone and thought it was important to treat others how you would want to be treated, even though it has always back fired on me.”

Emmie looks into her lap with tears starting to form in her eyes. _Why is she going to cry now?! _She has to stop the tears from spilling over, and focuses on blinking them back.

How did this conversation take such a deep turn? She just can’t seem to stop talking when she rambles about stuff that is important to her. She wanted to focus on him and his feelings but of course she turned it into her venting her raw emotions.

James is at a loss. He really doesn’t _know_ Emmie at all. There is so much under the surface that is going on that he needs to find out. Hopefully time is kind to him. But he knows right now that she needs some comforting because she seems distressed.

James pulls Emmie closer to him and slings his arm around her shoulders. “Babygirl, breathe please. It’s okay, everything is okay.” He starts to rub circles into her shoulder when he feels her nod against his arm. “Thank you babygirl.”

“For…for what?”

“For opening up to me, for being honest. For being real with me. It shows me the kind of person you are. I’ve never had a dame like you before.”

“I hope a good person? And a dame?” Emmie giggles.

“Oh yeah, the best. Also the prettiest and sweetest.” He winks at her in hopes she smiles. She does. He uses her smile as encouragement to answer her inquisitive mind.

“Now, doll, back to your question. Yes, I have kept you on my right side for a reason. I’ve been afraid to tell you something about me in fear that it would make you run from me.” He breaks eye contact with her and looks down at his gloved hand.

“A very long time ago, I had an accident. This accident hurt my left arm badly. Badly enough where it had to be amputated.” _Forcibly and against his will._ But he doesn’t voice that. “So I have a prosthetic from my shoulder all the way down to my to my hand. I…I was scared you wouldn’t want anything to do with me because of it.”

When James looks at his date, he is shocked to see a bigger smile on her face. Now he is _really _confused.

Emmie jumps at his pause in speech and sits up in his arm, “No way, that’s so cool! Wait…that sounded bad. I meant the arm is way cool, not the accident. That part definitely sucks and how you got it must have been painful. But having a functional arm like that is so badass! And I would never run away because of that. Honesty, it makes you even more cool in my eyes. Ugh I can’t stop saying cool! But I’ve never been close with someone who has a prosthetic. Oooooo I have so many questions—”

James is blown away. This was _not _the response he expected at all. He thought she was going to ask him to take her home. He wouldn’t blame her if she did. It ain’t pretty. At all. But he had to give her credit. She handled it with respect and enthusiasm. He just has to get her to relax, this took a turn he didn’t know how to deal with. But a good turn, which he is grateful for.

“Doll! Slow your roll.” James moves his arm back around her and Emmie can feel his shoulders shake in laughter. His laughter broke the tension, thankfully. “Let’s take a few breaths.” Emmie nods as James starts to lead her through some breathing techniques he’s picked up along the years.

“Sorry,” Emmie says meekly. “I just got excited and sometimes I forget to rein it in. I just have so many thoughts and questions for you. But the first thing I should tell you is that I accept you anyway you are. The way you are right now. I…I can’t explain it but meeting you has been one of the best things to happen for me. You just seem to…always be there for and just get me. Wow that got sappy _real_ fast. And now I can’t seem to shut up.”

James has tears brimming in his eyes, he can’t believe this woman sitting next to him. He wraps both his arms around his doll quickly, as he doesn’t want to lose the moment or the courage. He pulls her onto his lap where she is sitting sideways and her legs are hanging over his left leg.

Emmie responds perfectly and pulls him in even closer by wrapping her arms around his neck and snuggling her face into his neck. With her face hidden, he allows a few tears to spill out over his cheeks. His soulmate is showing him so much grace, with the bare minimum information and he can’t even give her more details on his life. He keeps telling himself it’s for her own safety but he somehow feels more guilty about it.

Emmie starts to rub his back slowly and simultaneously hums a song James doesn’t recognize. It unexpectedly helps soothe his heart, comforting in every sense of the word.

Emmie can feel the difference between his arms and was taken back by how willing he was to touch her. She starts to like how his arms feel different on her body, how they bring out two sensations. But most importantly, she likes being wrapped up in his big strong arms, no matter what they are made of.

James doesn’t want to let go but doesn’t want to crush her either. He starts to let go and thinks he hears a whimper escape Emmie at the loss of contact but still lets go.

He looks her deep in her hazel eyes and brings his flesh hand to her neck. He rubs his thumb along her cheekbone and watches her eyes close at his touch. He takes this moment to place a prolonged kiss to her temple and the feeling of her pulse on her neck calms him immeasurably.

James whispers into her ear, “You’re an angel, you know that right?”

He can feel her body immediately shiver and he wonders if he was too forward. Then he feels the smallest shake in her head.

“Oh you have much to learn silly. I’m far from it.”

“No, Amelia, you truly are an angel. No one has ever shown me that much kindness ever. Maybe besides St—“. James has to stop himself from revealing Steve. It’s not the time for that right now.

The second James says Amelia, Emmie knows he is being serious. She takes him at his word. “Besides who James?”

He takes another moment, “Just someone from my past.”

Emmie doesn’t know what to say and just nods. She moves her head to where she rests her forehead on his and just soaks up this moment. She’s never felt so…special with someone before. No guy she has been with has treated her the way James has so far.

“Just know I’m here for you. Always will be”

James moves his hand on her neck to the back of her head, “Please, please let me kiss you Amelia. Please let me show you what you mean to me.”

Emmie is torn. She desperately wants to kiss him but doesn’t want to get sucked into lies and deception. Her track record isn’t the greatest. But they made it to the second date and he’s been so polite in asking to kiss her and has respected her boundaries thus far. What the hell, what does she have to lose at this point? Might as well get a good kiss in while he seems to be interested in her.

She closes her eyes and whispers onto his lips ever so softly, “Kiss me James.”

It takes James a moment to realize she gave him permission to kiss her. With the remaining streams of sunset shining on Emmie’s face, James slowly starts to lean in.

Emmie can feel James invade her personal space inch by inch, as his breath gets warmer on her lips. She can’t hear what is going on around her as her pulse is throbbing in her ears. But what she can feel is his grip on her tighten and their embrace intensifying.

She quickly wets her lips before he descends on hers. He gently places his lips on hers for the briefest moment and has to pull back and remind himself to take a breath. But he isn’t done yet.

He leans back in to her plump lips and prolongs their languid kiss as his lips glide over hers. Their noses rub against each other as he brings her face impossibly closer.

Their lips move together easily, as they share their feelings with each other. It’s like flowers are finally blooming in spring. Colors and passion are exploding between them and sparks are flying. Emmie feels the tingle stronger this time on her left soul mark. Funny how it happens when she is with James.

They finally release each other but their lips hover over each other’s, their foreheads connected.

“Wow,” Emmie breathily says.

“Yeah,” James pants. “You could say that doll.”

Her head is swimming from the aftermath of their first, and very passionate kiss. She feels like she’s floating, flying even. Emmie says the first thing that comes to mind, barely above a whisper, “Best first-kiss ever.”

James perks up at her admission and his bright eyes widen. “Yeah? That so dollface?” He replies playfully.

“Shit I said that out loud?!” Emmie whisper yells.

James softly laughs. “Sure did doll.” Emmie goes quiet, which makes James laugh out of nervousness now. “Y-you still mean it right?”

Emmie brings her hand up to his cheek. James leans into it and then turns to kiss her palm. It’s such a loving gesture. So simple yet so meaningful. 

Emmie is touched by his nervousness. But she doesn’t understand it. Why would a guy be nervous around her? It’s not like she is anything special.

She wants to reassure him, like she would want someone to do for her. “Sure did sugar lips.”

_Sugar lips? Where the hell did that come from? Meh…but it’s true. So there’s that._

Emmie hears James moan. It vibrates against her hand, and she can feel it travel down her body, down to her core.

“Why you so sweet to me doll?”

“ ‘Cause you’re sweet to me James.”

“Mmmm I’ll make sure to keep bein’ sweet to you dollface.”

“And I’ll hold you to that sugar lips.”

James moans again. He hates pet names for him, but he loves anything his girl says. _Sugar lips._ He likes that one. Hopefully she comes up with more.

“Please do babygirl. Please do.”

James moves his hand to her cheek and moves a strand of her hair behind her ear and then sweetly presses a gentle kiss to her temple. Emmie hums at his contact. And the tingle on her left soul mark is still there. With each of his kisses, she feels it come to life just a little bit more.

But this position is getting a little uncomfortable. She wants to stay close to him but move to where it doesn’t feel like her sides are cramping.

“Hey James?”

“What’s up beautiful?”

Emmie blushes and giggles. She doesn’t get how he thinks she’s beautiful but it’s really nice to hear.

James knows this pause, she doesn’t believe him. Doesn’t think it’s true. He’s gonna have to work on that with her.

James brings her chin up to look her in her eyes. “Babygirl, you are so _beautiful._ Please know that.”

Emmie is red all over, how did he know what she was thinking? The only way she feels like she can respond is by kissing him.

She pulls away and then runs her thumb over his lips. “Thank you James.” Emmie coughs to get herself out of that bubble. “Can…can I switch positions? And m-maybe sit between your legs?”

“Doll, have you been uncomfortable this whole time?” James asks worriedly.

“Um—just a little.”

“Babygirl, why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

“I’m sorry…I-I was just enjoying our moment.”

James happily sighs. “Alright, fair enough doll. But next time you tell me sooner okay?” Emmie nods. “Let’s get you situated here baby.”

James easily lifts her at her waist and turns her to face the water. Emmie nervously squeals and braces her hands on his forearms. She _hates _being picked up, as it reminds her of her weight and a traumatizing memory.

But James whispers in her ear, “I gotchu baby, I gotchu.” Somehow his reassuring words hold conviction and she believes him. Somewhat.

He widens his legs and places her gently between, snuggling her right up close to his chest. Just where he wants her.

Since the sun has gone down a bit more since they arrived, the temperature has dropped slightly. James leans over to his backpack and pulls the second blanket out. He places the blanket over Emmie’s lap and holds her close by wrapping his arms around her waist.

Emmie sinks right into his body, resting her head on his right shoulder. She wraps her own arms under his and places her hands on his forearms. Now she can feel the distinct differences with his arms. One hard and what feels like metal, and the other a bit warmer and firm with bulging muscle. She closes her eyes and sighs. “You’re so warm.”

“Mhm. This better babygirl?”

Emmie hums happily, “Oh yeah, so good James.”

At that, James presses the most delicate kiss right below her ear. She quakes in his arms but doesn’t move away.

Emmie relishes in the warm feeling of his lips on her neck, his steamy breath leaving shivers in its wake. All she knows is she can’t get enough of his touch.

His kisses trail up her neck steadily until he reaches her temple again. He lingers there for several more seconds before he releases her and rests his cheek where he last kissed her.

The two sit there as the sun creeps down behind the horizon and take in the view. Their breathing soon becomes synchronized and Emmie has never felt so at peace than she has than in this moment.

She is running her hands across his forearms, but she isn’t sure if it’s for her or to give James affirmation.

Emmie is the first one to break their silence. “You seem to always know my favorite things.”

“How’s that doll?”

“Sunsets are one of my favorite things. The colors at the end of a day? Just brings me so much peace. Makes me feel like…like everything will be okay. And reminds me how I made it through another day.”

Wait…_why the hell did she just say that last part?_

James nods along to her answer but the last sentence doesn’t sit well with him. _What did she mean by that?_

James gives her a strong squeeze. “I think that is a beautiful way to think of sunsets.” He pets the hair on the top of her head.

Before James can ask her, Emmie speaks again. “Thank you for tonight…tonight has been really romantic. I haven’t been on a date like this since…since…ever.” Emmie slumps with her last few words.

James is automatically saddened at her confession but also proud of himself for doing right by her tonight. Even though he plans to do much more in the future. She deserves to be romanced, and thoroughly at that.

James turns her face towards his and holds firmly. He looks her deep down into her eyes. “This is just the start babygirl. I plan to romance you every chance I get _Amelia_.” Then he leans in and kisses her with as much tenderness as he can muster. He holds her like a delicate flower as his soft lips move over hers, conveying how precious she is to him.

When James pulls away to breathe, he finds Emmie breathless, with her eyes still closed. She is panting quietly with her head resting on his shoulder. But the softest smile is present on her face.

“Wow— You’re really good at that.” Emmie finally whispers to him.

“Good thing I really like kissing you baby.” James winks at her to bring her out of her fervor.

“Well sugar lips, you can kiss me like that anytime you want then.” Which prompts James to kiss her once again, passionately and with every ounce of care.

Silence falls upon them again as they take in the afterglow of the sunset, all snuggled up in each other’s embraces. It must be the ambiance because she is about to get emotional again. Him practically saying he is going to do all these romantic things for her is endearing but also nerve wracking. Emmie can’t be lied to again or deceived. Her heart can’t take it.

“Emmie, baby, what’s on your mind? I can hear you thinking.” James gives her a gentle hug and places a soft kiss on her cheek. He places his hands on top of hers, hoping to make her feel more secure.

_How the hell does he always know?! _Emmie is amazed every time, it’s like he’s psychic or something.

She doesn’t know how to say what is on her mind, besides being blunt about it. His earlier words were really striking a chord with her.

“You promise?” She whispers.

“Promise what babygirl?”

Emmie gets nervous, she can’t go through with it now. “Oh it’s nothing. I’m just being ridiculous.”

James nudges her face with his nose and whispers in her ear, “You can tell me Amelia.”

“You p-promise to be ro-romantic?” Emmie stutters through, with a shaky voice. Worried James won’t take her seriously.

James stiffens. Was he not convincing enough? Has she not been treated well in the past?

“Anything for you angel. I want to be that for you. I know it’s soon, but it’s true.” He has no clue how he is being so vulnerable with her this soon but he has to do right by one of his soulmates at least. He really wants to tell her he’s her soulmate…but he still feels like it’s too soon. But that was the perfect moment.

James can tell she is insecure about this and it infuriates him. She should never not feel loved when she is with someone. Especially her _soulmate_. Who she still doesn’t know exists.

“No false promises James. I won’t be able to take it.”

“I gotchu baby, I gotchu.” James tugs her head closer and places the longest kiss on her forehead.

If Emmie could dwell there, she would. Being held and kissed by him is quickly becoming one of her favorite things.

By now, the sun was gone and the stars were starting to shine. Emmie releases a sigh and snuggles into his chest even more and pulls the blanket up to her chin. She wants to soak up all the warmth he has.

James holds her with more confidence now. “Doll, I see you staring at the sky. You know much about the stars?”

“No, but I’m gonna bet you do. Wanna tell me about them?” She asks him sweetly.

James smiles brightly and immediately dives into teaching her all he knows about the stars above. Emmie can feel his passion and energy roll off of him as he talks. She adores it when he gets talkative about something. But at this point, she isn’t really looking at the stars anymore. She has her eyes set on a different view.

“Dollface…the stars are in the sky.” He points above his head and raises his brow.

“Ah I know, sorry about that, but I got distracted by this handsome hunk.”

James feels a jolt of encouragement but also blushes at the compliment. “Handsome hunk you say?” He smirks down at her.

“Oh yeah, the hunkiest hunk I’ve ever laid eyes on.” _Why is she telling him this?!_

“Ooo he sounds like it. Tell me more dollface.”

“Oh you’re fishing for compliments now, aren’t ya?”

James can feel her playful side peaking out. “You bet I am. Now, you were saying?”

“Oh hell no, not anymore silly.”

James moves his arms under the blanket and to her waist. “Oh you’ve done it now doll.”

And he starts tickling her. His hands are tickling her furiously and it draws out the loudest laughs and protests from Emmie. She is squirming in his lap trying to escape but has no luck. His hold on her is too strong. Her moving around in his lap is doing…things to him. He can feel himself starting to get hard as her around ass bumps and digs against him. He doesn’t want her to feel that he is so aroused yet, even though he wants to be.

James finally releases his hands, “Alright, you’ve had enough dollface.”

“Phew! I thought you weren’t gonna show me any mercy there.” James laughs at her relief.

With a sweetness she wasn’t expecting, James says, “Like I’ve said before, I gotchu baby, I gotchu.”

Emmie hums at his affirmation and initiates the next kiss. Nice and slow, moving her hand into his hair, running her fingers through his long locks. She can feel his slight scruff rub against her chin and cheeks as he deepens the kiss a little more. But she doesn’t want it to get too carried away. It has too many times with other guys in the past. Emmie wants to go slow with him.

She pulls away and rests her head on his chest. She feels his lips against her forehead. She’s getting addicted to his kisses so quickly, she knows she’s in trouble.

She wants to tell him that she needs him, wants to continue with whatever they are doing. It’s hard for her to keep her emotions in, she just wants to share them badly, but it seems so early and she doesn’t want it to blow up in her face. She has learned one too many times.

“You okay with going slow?” She asks in a nervous whisper.

James is somewhat grateful she asked to go slow, because he isn’t sure he would have been able to slow down if they continued kissing the way they were. He imagined kissing her in his dreams, but nothing compared to finally connecting his lips with her. He felt the kiss deep down in his soul. And he already craves more.

And he can tell she is afraid of his response. Have others before him said no?

“Of course babygirl. We’ll go at your pace. Anything you want.”

Emmie brings the hand resting on her waist up to her lips and kisses his palm. Then she turns her gaze up to him. “Thank you James.” Emmie says with a relieved sigh.

He leans down to her ear, “I gotchu baby, I gotchu.”

The repetitiveness of his avowal is starting to sink in with Emmie. Each time she seems to believe him just the tiniest bit more. He seems real. She just hopes he doesn’t change.

She nods and snuggles back in his arms where he wraps her up tightly against his torso. They stare up at the stars a bit more in a comfortable silence and she rubs her fingers along the back of his hands in circles.

Out of nowhere, James speaks up softly. “I’m really glad you came to Romania.”

Emmie is stunned by his honesty. He hasn’t given away much of his feelings willingly, without her probing.

“Me too.” She squeezes his arms closer to her waist.

James has the opportunity to ask her now. “Why did you come to Bucharest? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Emmie immediately stiffens. This subject scares her. This is too much rawness to reveal right now.

James senses this topic isn’t up for discussion. He’s right when she speaks up, “I’m sorry…it-it’s just that is still hard for me to talk about. I d-do want to tell you. Is that okay?”

James hates it how she constantly asks if it is okay for her to say or do certain things. She doesn’t need his approval on anything.

“Always okay doll. You tell me what you want, when you want to.”

“You’re amazing, you know that right?”

James scoffs at her slightly but places another kiss to her temple. She closes her eyes at the touch and hums. He doesn’t want tonight to end.

“Not quite amazing, but thank you doll.”

Emmie shivers at a cold gust of wind. This is his cue that their night needs to end, sadly.

“Doll, let’s get you home before you get sick.” He rubs his hands up and done her arms.

“But—”

“No doll, I don’t want Marius or Yvonne to get mad at me for getting you sick.”

“Ugh, you seem to be right a lot of the time.”

James heartily chuckles. “I don’t want the night to end either dollface, but your health is equally important.”

“Even your reasoning is logical and true.” She laughs with him.

As they pack up, Emmie takes James in. He’s just so beautiful. From his hair to his face, his toned body, his thick thighs…how has she been lucky enough to go on two dates with him? She’s nervous this is Brad all over again. He’s too good to be true, because he’s stunning and his personality is even more perfect. He’s a needle in the haystack.

James helps her into the car and reaches for her hand when he settles into the driver’s seat. That makes her smile. He initiated it. He wants to hold her hand. She blushes.

As James drives off, he speaks up. “Emmie, can I cook you dinner sometime?”

She rests her head back on the headrest and turns her gaze towards him. She wants to keep it light. Tonight has been _a lot_ for both of them. But she likes James even more for being able to have hard and deep conversations, to open up to her. That’s a quality she really admires.

“Depends on what you’re making.” She winks at him.

James throws his head back and laughs loudly. He was expecting her to get shy, but he got the opposite, and he adores her. He brings their locked hands together and kisses the back of her palm.

“Whatever you want dollface.”

“Oh no, I want your specialty.”

“You got a deal Amelia.”

Emmie has the widest grin on her face, she is so excited. No guy has ever cooked for her before, or even offered. James is 10 steps ahead of everyone else at this point. And she isn’t even mad. Now she’s getting hungry just thinking of what he will make for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Finally got this in before 2019 was over, at least where I am located. Happy New Year to everyone! Want to thank you all for continuing to read this story. It means a lot to me. 
> 
> Wishing you all a wonderful and blessed 2020!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things progress on their third date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Happy 2020!! Hope the start of the new year has been great for everyone. And thank you all so much for the support on this story, with all the comments and kudos! It means so much to me <3
> 
> Sorry for the delay...I am moving across the country next week and getting packed has been a process. 
> 
> Things get a little more steamy and finally Emmie opens up a bit more to James

This morning at the farm stand, James was in a really good mood. He was cooking for Emmie later that night and his chaotic energy was a mix of nervousness and excitement. More on the nervous side though. Cooking dinner for his girl is special to him…and he wants to impress her even more. He wants to make tonight the best date yet.

James walked around the market and purchased the ingredients for his date with Emmie. Giving her teasing smirks and winks as he moves from vendor to vendor. It’s impossible for either of them to keep their eyes off each other.

After they kissed on their last date, things between them were different. In a really good way. They were acting much more like a couple. Giggling at each other’s jokes. Getting lost in each other’s eyes. Sharing fleeting touches whenever they could.

James has been feeling positive and upbeat about his future with Emmie; a future with being with his soulmate, and to live a better life. But he is also terrified of what he would be bringing her into. That he would be cursing her into a life of darkness, evil, and constantly being on the run. And that is not a life he wants for her. And is why he is afraid to tell her the truth.

But he can’t seem to tear himself away from her. It’s like she is a giant magnet that is attracting him to her from every angle, and there is nothing he can do to stop it. And maybe that's what he is supposed to do, to let it happen.

James stopped by Yvonne’s farm stand before heading out to talk with Emmie and help with the crowd. Emmie is still struggling with her Romania and he does all the talking for her. Not like he minds, gives him an excuse to be with his soulmate.

Emmie asked what dinner was going to be but once again, he wanted it to be a surprise. Emmie likes to know things ahead of time, helps her feel calmer, but these are good surprises, and he’s putting effort into making their date special, so he’s become her exception. Another part of her that has changed slightly since being with him.

Emmie has been doing a lot of reflecting about her dates with James. And her feelings towards him.

She’s thought about how happy he has made her, how she is smiling and laughing a majority of the time, how safe, physically and emotionally, he makes her feel, how he respectively dotes on her like a gentleman, and how he has opened up to her. He has treated her so well, and it’s the best she’s ever been treated by a guy. And it’s only been _two dates._ Which blows her mind.

She’s also thought about how her feelings have grown and how it secretly terrifies her. She made a promise to herself not to commit to someone unless this person is her soulmate. But James is a different breed and he’s unlike anyone she’s ever met. Does she continue to give him a chance? Does she continue to see him and potentially develop feelings for him, knowing he isn’t her soulmate?

But she also tries to consider what she means to him. She must mean something, well…enough, to him to want to keep asking her on dates. This gives her a little more confidence.

Emmie really wants to talk to him about these things but she’s fearful that her emotional baggage will make him run for the hills. Guys want confident girls, who are sexy and don’t have a bunch of issues. Right? Well that’s what she’s been made to believe. She just hopes James can wait long enough to peel back the layers.

Luckily Yvonne and Marius were nice enough to go out on their own date night to leave the apartment for Emmie and James. James had reluctantly admitted that his place wasn’t that nice and Yvonne’s kitchen had the appliances he needed for dinner. Emmie could tell James was a bit embarrassed by this but she didn’t mind. Staying in at the apartment was just what she needed; a comfy and cozy safe place to have an intimate night with James.

Emmie had set the table with the silverware, plates, and candles. She loves candles, especially at dinner. Even though James asked her on this date, she feels like she should help set the scene as it’s her place. Hopefully he appreciates it.

Emmie is kind of relieved that her date with James is them staying in. Her mind is all over the place and she isn’t sure she could have been focused enough if they were going out.

Emmie’s struggle with these thoughts prevent her from fully being ready and dressed when James knocks on the door that night. It takes her another 5 minutes to find the right outfit, luckily her makeup was finished, and she put her hair up into a ballet bun.

She chooses a thick and comfy knitted sweater that sits off her shoulders with black jeans and fluffy white socks.

Emmie hears another knock on the door accompanied with James calling out her name.

“Coming coming!”

Before she opens the door, she pats down her sweater and gives her cheeks a little love tap to pull it all together. James is just on the other side of the door, waiting.

After one more breath, she opens the door and she immediately forgets how to breathe.

In all his rugged glory, James is standing in front of her with a grocery bag in his left arm. His hair falls perfectly along his cheekbones and his blue eyes softly sparkle as he stares down into Emmie’s. His smile widens at the sight of her in a comfy yet sexy outfit.

She is mesmerized by him and she can’t stop what she is doing before it’s too late.

Emmie steps up to his chest and runs her hands around his shoulders and then holds the back of his neck as she leans up to kiss him hello.

As their lips connect, she feels the pull towards him feel even stronger. The mark on her left wrist ignites into a hot flame and tingles up to her forearm. She feels her heartbeat race in her head and can’t focus on anything else beside kissing this man.

James’ free arm wraps around her and pulls her close into his body. His hand rests on her lower back, bordering on where her round assets begin.

Emmie melts into his body and audibly sighs. She smiles into the kiss and sinks further into his chest. She pulls his face impossibly closer to hers and kisses him harder. Sliding her tongue out, she asks for entrance into his mouth. He easily obliges her and their tongues dance with each other as she happily moans.

His grasp on her lower back tightens at the sound and he steps both of them back into the apartment. When they cross the threshold into the privacy of the apartment, James kicks the door closed with his left foot.

As he continues to caress her lips and her body, he guides them back to the kitchen island. He needs to put the groceries down so she can have his full attention, with both his arms holding her.

The moment James wraps his metal arm around his doll, Emmie loudly sighs and raises even more up onto her tip toes to reach her perfect lips. She can’t get enough of him at the moment. She is grasping at anything she can; his neck, his hair, his jacket. She just needs _more_.

Emmie widens her legs and James instinctively moves forward at her invitation. The moment their hips touch, it is like her whole body is tingling. There are flashes of heat all over and she can’t control her breathing. Emmie is panting in between their fervid kisses, and succumbing to the glorious feeling of kissing James.

But all of that changes suddenly when James slides his hands below her curves and to her thighs, where they grip tighter and start to pull her off the ground.

Emmie panics immediately and pulls away abruptly. She braces herself on his forearms to keep the distance between them and she shakes her head vehemently.

“No.” Emmie can feel the fear creep up into her voice. “No no no no no no—”

“Woah woah woah Emmie, what’s wrong?” James swiftly takes his hands from her thighs and holds them firmly on her cheeks, looking deep into his favorite pair of hazel eyes.

“D-don-don’t do that,” Emmie stutters out as she shuts her eyes closed.

James is confused…what part does she not want him to do? The kissing? She seemed _very _into that part. Did he go too far with his wandering hands? Shit…

“I’m sorry angel, I’m sorry.” James moves to rub his thumbs over her cheekbones. “Forgive me? With cherries on top?” He dips his face closer to hers and can see the small movement of a smile forming on her lips.

Emmie doesn’t verbally respond. She just nods her head and digs herself deeper into James’ hold, wrapping her arms around his muscular back.

“It’s okay. I gotchu baby, I gotchu.”

Emmie takes a slower, deeper breath and speaks quietly into his chest. “Promise?”

He knows it’s not just a promise that he’s got her. He’ll give her that reassurance any day. “Always, doll.”

James kisses her forehead and then rests his forehead on hers as his arms slide around to her back and hold her tightly to this chest.

As he moves his hand up and down her back, he whispers into her ear, “Breathe with me sweet girl.”

When he can feel her heart rate come back down to normal, he speaks again, “Wanna tell me what happened please doll?”

Emmie sighs. She knew she was going to have to explain that eventually. She just gets terrified being open with guys. It hasn’t necessarily worked out for her in the past.

Emmie is about to speak up but her stomach grumbles loudly first. She nervously laughs as she rests her forehead on his chest.

“Guess that’s my cue to start cooking.”

Emmie raises her gaze up to his to find him already looking down at her. She softly smiles. “Sure is. What you makin’ me?” Emmie starts to rub her hands up and down her biceps.

“My ma’s lasagna.”

Emmie has to bite the inside of her cheek to stop her to freaking out in front of him. She _hates_ eating in front of guys, especially heavy dishes like lasagna. Brings back bad memories.

She swallows the lump in her throat and hopes James didn’t see the nervousness in her demeanor. She wants to make this night special but it’s starting out with a shaky beginning.

Her pause scares James, “That alright doll?”

Emmie rubs her hands along his entire arms now and makes her smile even bigger, “Oh yeah, you bet. Can’t turn down a handsome hunk when he’s cookin’ for ya.” She hopes her playfulness will distract him from what just happened.

James decides to let go whatever just happened and go along with her but he will get answers from her tonight at some point. “Oh don’t go sweet talkin’ me just yet dollface or we won’t even make it to dinner.”

Emmie slides her arms up around his shoulders to his neck. Her voice drips with sensuality. “Would that be such a bad thing?”

James can’t keep up with her. It’s been a roller coaster of emotions in the past 2 minutes alone. But he’s gonna take what he can get.

“Absolutely not. But my ma would have my head if I wasn’t a gentleman first, especially to my girl.”

Emmie got suddenly shy and blushed at how he wants to treat her well. “It’s decided. I like your mom. She did raise you right.”

James is beside himself, he can _feel_ how genuine Emmie is right now with him. He truly wishes Steve was here to witness this. And specifically is ma. She would have taken Emmie in in a heartbeat.

“My ma would’ve loved you.”

That gives Emmie pause and she looks up into James’ now sad yet sweet eyes. “Would’ve?” She says so softly in fear of his answer.

James can’t get anything past her and he smiles back to her. “Story for another time. First, food.”

Emmie can’t say no to that. “Okay my handsome-hunk-of-a-chef-who-is-cooking-me-dinner-tonight.”

James laughs heartily and then places a sweet kiss to her temple, but he doesn’t let her go yet.

“You gonna tell me what happened earlier baby?”

“Yeah…I will.” Emmie responds honestly.

“Promise?”

“Always.” This time Emmie leans in and initiates a sweet peck on his lips.

~~

James has been taking care of everything so far. He’s making the meat, the sauce, the pasta, everything. And seeing him in the kitchen taking charge and knowing what to do is _doing_ things to her. Having someone special cook for her? Seems unfathomable, until now.

He had brought some red wine and she opened it immediately to let it breathe. She takes a sip and sighs happily, she loves her Pinot Noirs.

“You’re lookin’ real domestic and handsome in the kitchen right about now James.” Emmie says as she sits at the island stool with her head propped up in her hands.

James smirks, “Only for my girl.”

Emmie covers her face. She still can’t get over it. Why is he saying things like that to her?

“I feel useless over here, will you please let me help?”

James takes a moment to look at her. He wants to dote on her all night but he can tell she has nervous energy building up and that’s the last thing he wants for her.

“Alright dollface, you up to cut some vegetables? Yvonne said you like them roasted.”

Emmie perks up. “Yes! I can do that.” She stands up and moves her way to stand next to James, as he pulls out all the produce.

“Just cut them into small slices then we’ll put them in the oven.”

_We. _He said we. Emmie blushes. She likes how they are a _we_ now.

James won’t tell her how he had to look up what roasting vegetables meant. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. He just likes how that made her smile.

Emmie starts to slice up the broccoli and James gets nervous because the way she is using the knife? She’s gonna chop her finger right off. She moves onto the carrots and he has to step in. He doesn’t want any blood shed tonight.

Without thinking, he steps up right behind her where her back is up tight against his chest. His face falls to her right shoulder as his arms wrap around her body. His right hand goes onto hers, which is holding the knife and his left holds down the carrot. He felt her immediately melt into his body and he can’t say he doesn’t love that feeling.

Emmie’s left hand goes to rest on his metal forearm and she is trying not to become all jittery with him at her back. This is so _cliché_ but she loves it. She always dreamed of something like this happening.

James starts to speak softly into her ear, “Dollface, you gotta hold the knife like this or you’ll lose a finger.” He adjusts her grip. “Then I want you to hold the carrot down with your knuckles, so you’re only slicing the carrot.” He adjusts her left hand. “You got it babygirl?”

Emmie can’t speak. She’s overwhelmed by all the senses. She can’t get enough of his touch and his voice in her ear like that.

She still hasn’t made any effort to move so he prompts her. “Baby can you show me?”

Emmie then starts slicing with his adjustments and James is happy, much safer.

“Is this right?”

He too doesn’t want to leave her, but the lasagna needs attention too. “Perfect doll.” He kisses her temple and squeezes her hip softly before he turns back to the stove. He hears her sigh but it sounds kind of…_sad?_ He shakes it off and keeps cooking.

Emmie continues to chop up the remainder of the veggies while James attends to the meat and sauce. She takes sips of her wine here and there while humming along to a song in her head. James sees her hips sway to that beat and he can’t tear his eyes away.

The way she moves and holds herself while no one is looking is something James wishes she did more of.

In his trance, James forgot about what he was cooking and things started to boil over.

Emmie had turned around at the sounds from the stove and yelled, “James!”

That got his attention. He quickly turned around and saw the mess he had made. “Shit!”

James yelling scared Emmie. She jumped and bumped all the veggies to the floor. James saw it all happen in slow motion.

“Damn it!” Emmie scolded herself.

“It’s alright Emmie, hold on.” James said surprisingly calmly.

He moves the pot to the back of the stove and then bends down to the floor to start picking up the veggies. In his haste, he didn’t turn off the stove and as he bent down, the ends of his hair caught on fire.

Emmie sees and doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t understand how he doesn’t feel that!

“Ja-Ja-James!”

James snaps up swiftly, “What’s wrong babyg—”

James doesn’t finish his sentence because his head is now drenched in wine. He is stood still with his mouth agape. He brings his hands up to his eyes to dry them off.

When he looks forward, he sees Emmie holding an empty wine glass and her lips curled between her teeth trying very hard not to laugh. He can’t be mad at her. Could never be mad at her with that beautiful face.

“Somethin’ funny dollface?” James smirks and steps closer to Emmie.

Emmie can’t hold it in any longer and bursts into laughter right there. She has to hold onto the counter top to help her stay standing she is laughing so hard.

Her laughter makes James smile, he wants to bottle up that sound forever, it is so pure. He steps closer and joins in with her laughter. When he gets close enough, he wraps his arm around her waist to hold her up.

Her eyes are still closed and he smirks. He’ll get a little payback on her. He wiggles his head side to side and drops of wine fling off his hair and hit her face.

Emmie shrieks and tries to pull away but he holds her tighter.

“Ahhhhh! Stop stop!” She laughs loudly and works to cover her face with her hands.

“Say the magic words dollface.”

“Uh please?”

“Try again doll.” He continues to shake his hair at her.

“I don’t know!”

“Yes you do beautiful.”

_Oh._ Okay. She’s got it.

She brings her hands up to his shoulders and gazes up into his eyes, “My handsome hunk.”

“There we go doll.”

He leans down and places a longing kiss on her lips. Nice and slow. Wanting to cherish the slow sensations against her lips. He wraps his right hand around her neck and holds her close as he kisses her.

When they part, he places a soft and comforting kiss to her forehead. That gives her a moment to speak, “I’m so sorry James, your hair caught fire and I freaked and the only thing I thought to do was throw wine at you. Wow when I say that out loud it sounds so bad. And now your face is all wet. UGH so sor—”

James stops her with placing his fingers on her lips. She goes silent on command. “It’s fine babydoll. Thank you for lookin’ out for me. I ain’t the smartest in the kitchen.”

Emmie tilts her head back to look up at him and can tell he isn’t lying. She just sees honesty and adoration in his eyes.

Emmie asks shyly, “Why are you so nice to me?”

“Because you’re unlike any dame I’ve ever met.”

“You say that to all the girls?”

“Only you babygirl.”

Emmie doesn’t respond. She just snuggles up into his body and hugs him tight. He responds in kind and holds her close. She just hopes that he means what he says.

James starts to pet her hair softly and she mews at the feeling. His touch makes her feel special and wanted.

“Well, since I have ruined dinner, should we order some pizza doll?”

He feels her head bob up and down against his chest, then a soft muttering, “Just cheese please.”

“I gotchu baby, I gotchu.”

~~

James and Emmie are curled up on the couch finishing up their pizza. James ended up ordering 1 entire pizza for himself and Emmie only ate a quarter of the 2nd pizza. She could not believe how much pizza he could consume. And still want more.

Emmie’s legs are laying on top of James’ lap and he is rubbing her legs in soothing circles. Her head is propped up by the various pillows so she could easily look up at her dreamy looking date.

During dinner, they goofed off and giggled endlessly. Mainly focusing on more animal gifs and videos. The videos that really made James laugh was when people would put a cucumber behind a cat and the cat would turn around and then jump sky high afraid of said cucumber. Seeing him roll around laughing so hard a tear would escape made Emmie’s heart swell. His smile and laughter is something she needs to have everyday.

There’s a lull in their laughter when James speaks up again, “Hey beautiful?”

“Yeah sugar lips?”

James blushes and then grips her shins, “Hey now, I’m tryin’ t’be serious here doll.”

“Okay, sorry handsome. What’s on your mind?”

“Can you talk to me about what happened earlier?”

~~

_**14 years ago**_

_“Katie…Katie!” Emmie whisper yells to her best friend._

_“What?!”_

_“Help meeeeee…with Seth.” Emmie points to where Seth is in the opposite corner of the backyard._

_“Ugh fine fine, because you’re my best friend.” Katie huffs out._

_“Thank you thank you thank youuuuuu.”_

_Emmie knew that Katie could make anything happen if she wanted. Her varsity cheerleader status as a freshman put her at the top of the social pyramid in high school and everyone knew her name. They either wanted to be her or be with her. She had that kind of social power already. _

_“Yeah yeah, I just can’t handle anymore of you talking about Seth. It makes me wanna gag.”_

_Emmie had been pining over Seth since the beginning of the year. Seth is a sophomore on varsity football and he is a dreamboat. A tall, built guy with a stellar smile, and dark brown eyes. She had a few classes with him because she was put in accelerated classes as a freshman. They have been put into a few group projects together and seem to have a few things in common. He has always been nice to her and says hi to her in class and in the hallways when they pass by each other, making her blush every time. _

_Today, Emmie was having a pool party at her house. Her house has one of the best pools in her entire high school and Katie thought it was a great place to have a summer pool party. Katie invited all her cheer friends and all the jocks she had gotten to know throughout the year. Her place was FILLED with all the popular kids. _

_Emmie knew Katie felt obligated to invite her to parties and such. It made her feel like shit but at least the popular kids knew her name and she got to hang out with them from time to time. But Emmie also knew that Katie was using her for her family’s money. _

_The money Emmie and her mom inherited from her dad had a LOT of zeros. And her mom liked to flaunt it, so that everyone knew they had money. And Katie took complete advantage of that, using her friendship with Emmie to make her more popular._

_Emmie’s friendship with Katie was a double edged sword..she knew it wasn’t perfect but she was all she had._

_“I owe you.”_

_“Just give me all the juicy details after you guys hook up.”_

_Emmie blushes and turns away._

_Katie claps her hands loudly and gets everyone’s attention. “Alright guys, we’re gonna play a game of chicken!”_

_There is a resounding cheer throughout the yard and a crowd starts to form around the edges of the pool._

_“For the first round, let’s have Seth…and Emmie paired together, against me and Kevin.” Katie smirks at Emmie and then at Kevin. Kevin is Katie’s boyfriend, the starting wide receiver on the football team, and also a junior. It was the gossip around town when a freshman started dating a junior, but Emmie had to admit, they were super cute together._

_Seth has the decency to be polite to Emmie, “You ready partner?” He holds out a closed fist for her to fist bump._

_Emmie didn’t know what to say because that smile of his got to her every time. Seeing his pearly white teeth against his thick lips makes her brain freeze up. She returns the fist bump, nods, and hops into the pool._

_The pairs get into position with the girls on top of the guys’ shoulders. Before she knew it, Emmie is battling Katie for bragging rights._

_The girls are pushing and pulling against each other while the guys are holding strong below. Katie finally gets the best of Emmie and she topples over with Seth soon following. _

_But when Seth comes up for air, he is screaming in pain. And when he gets out of the water, all color drains from Emmie’s face._

~~

“I fell right on top of him. When Seth came up out of the water…h-his arm was bent the wrong way and his shoulder was dented in and he was _screaming_ in pain.”

Emmie _hates_ telling this story. It makes her feel pathetic. It makes her feel gross and disgusting.

She takes another breath while she fiddles with her shirt. “He broke his arm in two different places and also broke his collarbone.” Her voice fades at the end. “_I _broke his arm and collarbone.” Emmie whispers as a single tear falls from her eye.

James’ heart breaks for her. One, he hates seeing her cry, and two, he can see her holding onto guilt and what seems to be shame.

“He was out the entire next season. He blamed me one day that fall at school in between periods and he made such a public display about it. Said I ruined all of his chances of being recruited to play in college.” More tears fall as Emmie’s heart rate picks up.

“He said that I’ll always be known as the fat girl who broke the star football player’s arm. And guess what? He. Was. Right.” Emmie can’t control the sobs racking her body.

“I can’t go anywhere in Chicago without running into _someone_ who might recognize me and go ‘Hey that’s Katie’s fat friend!’ Also one of the many reasons why I left.”

James pulls Emmie into his lap and holds her to his chest. She is shaking uncontrollably, and he doesn’t know what to do. But what he can do is hold her and rub her back and kiss her. And he will do just that.

For the next 10 minutes until Emmie calms down enough, James is shushing her petting her hair gently while he tells her he is there for her.

“Amelia, what is Seth’s last name?”

Well shit, he used her birth name. She can’t lie to him now.

“Um…Watkins. Seth Watkins. Why?”

“Just wondering babygirl.” He kisses her temple sweetly.

_Seth Watkins_ doesn’t know what’s coming if James has anything to do with it.

Emmie says meekly, “Okay.” Then she snuggles in closer to his warm body.

“Emmie?”

“Hm?”

“Is that why you don’t like being picked up?”

Emmie nods because she can feel the tears build up behind her eyes again. She is trying so hard not to let the sob escape her throat.

All James wants to do is make his girl laugh. Protect her heart and make her laugh.

“Well guess what baby?”

“Hm?”

“I can bench press the weight of a car.”

He _must_ be kidding. But he sounds serious too.

“Wait…really?” Emmie asks warily.

“Oh yeah, been practicing for years.” That gets a giggle out of Emmie.

“So that’s why your arms are so big and strong, huh?” James can feel a small smirk against his shoulder.

“Oh, you like my big strong arms doll?”

Emmie sinks further into his body in hopes to hide her deep blush. “And if I said yes?”

James rubs his hands up and down her back again, slowly, feeling her chest rise and fall as she waits for an answer.

“I’d make sure to hold you in my big, strong arms all the time. Whenever you’d want.”

“Well, when you put it like that, it sounds awfully nice.”

“Would you…trust me sometime?”

Emmie knew what he was asking. And surprisingly she would trust him. He has been treating her so delicately whenever she opens up to him. Whenever they are together.

“Yeah…I think I would.” She raises her gaze to meet his. She knows her eyes are puffy and red, but she doesn’t really care because he is looking at her like she is the only thing that matters to him in this world.

“I won’t ever drop you babygirl, ‘cause I gotchu baby, I gotchu.”

“I’ll whoop your ass if you do.”

Her attempt at making a joke warms James’ heart. He is slowly getting his Emmie back.

“I’d expect nothing less dollface.” He kisses her cheek softly.

“Good, glad you know who’s in charge here.” She winks and leans in to kiss his neck.

James can’t handle this. His doll is incredible, she can find humor in moments of sadness and pain. He truly admires her strength.

“Yes ma’am.” James goes to salute her and she laughs louder this time and throws her head back. The crinkles from her eyes shutting tightly makes James smile.

When he looks away, he sees something in the corner that he hasn’t seen in over 70 years.

“Emmie…is that—”

“A record player? Oh yeah. It was my granddaddy’s. That thing is _ancient_. Probably almost 100 years old. Before he died, he said it was from the 20s. He loved his music, especially music from back in his day. It doesn’t work right now but I have so many fond memories of it with him.”

James nods his head. So many thoughts from everything she just said, but he needs to keep the focus on getting to know her better.

“Were you close to him?”

“With granddaddy? Yes, he was my favorite. Well he wasn’t technically my granddaddy but to me he was. He was such a sweet man and he spoiled me rotten. I didn’t get much time with him before he passed. I was around 8 or so.”

“What do you mean he wasn’t your real granddaddy?”

“Well…he was the younger brother of my biological grandpa. My real grandpa died before I was born so I never met him but it feels like I know him so well through all the stories I heard.”

“Can you tell me about your real grandpa?”

“Gosh yes, he was a looker back in his day. But the coolest thing, the one thing I’m so proud of about him is that he served in the military. He was in some special task force group in World War II and he’s even in a museum.”

“He must’ve been one helluva guy.”

“Yeah…special enough for me to have his name as my middle name. Amelia Montgomery.” Emmie laughs at herself, “The one good thing my mom ever did, honor her dad. RIP gramps.”

James stiffens. _Montgomery?_ That sounds oddly familiar. He knows he's heard that name before. And from WWII? This is too coincidental.

But on the positive note, his doll loves jazz and music from his time, so one day he will have to take her dancing like they did before the war.

James looks lost in thought when Emmie speaks up, “Everything alright sugar lips?”

That nickname will always make him smile. “Just thinkin’ doll.” He rubs his hands on her arms sweetly.

“Anything you wanna share, my handsome hunk?”

James leans in and lands a quick, hot kiss on her lips, completely lighting up her heart and soul mark.

“Just that you keep surprising me and that I’m having a great time with my beautiful girl.”

Emmie blushes, she can’t help it. “Kiss ass.”

“Ooo, don’t give me any ideas dollface.” James wiggles his eyebrows up and down with a smirk playing on his face.

Emmie playfully gasps and puts her hand over her mouth in mock horror. “James! How _dare_ you. It’s only the third date.” She rests both her hands on his shoulders. “Gonna have to wait a few more dates for that.” Emmie winks at him and turns to straddle his lap and her pelvis is sitting right on top of his suddenly hardening bulge.

Emmie sees James’ eyes turn lustful and she is going in for the kill. She pulls back the hair from his face and puts it behind his ear on his left side. She leans in close with one hand on his neck and her hips start to grind on his thick lap.

Emmie whispers sultrily, “Think you can handle the wait, hot stuff?”

James can’t think. The feel of her hips against his as she slowly grinds her hips across his bulge is making him lose all focus. He moves his hands to her hips and holds down firmly. He wants her to stop but also wants her to keep going. James is loving the feeling of her moving against him. Even with all their clothes on.

“Mhm,” James only musters a mumble as he lets out a groan.

Emmie suddenly sits up straight in his lap and has an innocent smile, like she did nothing wrong. Then she moves completely off his lap and moves towards the kitchen, taking their plates and cups with her.

James is sitting there with his half-hard cock and not knowing what just happened or what to do next. He is so confused. He thought they were going to take things slightly further.

“Well good. Because you’ll have to wait until several more dates to find out. Now, I know Auntie and Marius will be back soon so it’s time to start saying goodbye so we can have a lonnnnnggg goodnight make out sesh, since I haven’t kissed you enough tonight. Sound good?” Emmie finished with a cheery, vibrant smile, but she isn’t making eye contact with him. He knows she is staring at his lips.

_How did he get such a smart dame? _She doesn’t let on as much as she should, in his opinion. But maybe that’s good?

James rushes over to Emmie, which makes her bend over with giggles racking her body. He finally reaches her and leans down to initiate a kiss but she stops him by placing her forefinger on his lips.

Emmie holds out her hand, “Gimme your phone.” He doesn’t move a muscle. “Please.”

James hesitantly grabs his phone out of his back pocket and hands it over. She quickly enters her number into his phone but suddenly gets shy and looks down at the phone still in her hand.

“Shit sorry…that-that was so forward. I…I just wanted to be able to talk to you more when I don’t see you at the farm stand or on our dates. You-you just make me happy and I selfishly want more of that. I hope that’s okay?” Emmie asked nervously and turned her eyes up to his eyes.

She didn’t even have a moment to process what was going on because James took the phone out of her hand and tossed it onto the counter. He grabbed the back of her head roughly and pulled her into his chest, hard. He kissed her with every fiber in his body and ran his other hand down her side and over her round backside. James gently grasped her ass and in return, he was rewarded with an unexpected moan.

Their lips are moving furiously as their tongues dance ferociously against each other. Each moment bringing them closer in heart.

The moan gives him encouragement to do what he did again. He grabs her ass more firmly this time and her lips let go of his and she audibly sighs into his mouth at the feeling.

He uses this moment to push her against the wall and continues to ravish her mouth.

Emmie is up on her tiptoes reaching up to kiss James thoroughly. She loves how he is taking charge right now and how they were able to quickly flip the switch on the mood.

James’ hands move to her thighs, he really wants to pick her up and have her legs around his waist. He rubs soothing circles to try to ease her tension.

James pulls away briefly to speak against Emmie’s lips, “Babygirl, can I pick you up please? I wanna have all of you in my arms.”

Emmie’s grip on James tightens significantly. He is putting her on the spot and he now knows what this does to her. But the feeling of his hot breath against her kiss-swollen lips, his hands gripping her thighs, and his eyes are _pleading_. Pleading to let him in and pleading to gain some trust.

Emmie’s heart rate picks up and she puts both her hands on his chest. “I’m too heav—”

“You’re perfect, that’s what you are.” He kisses her from her nose until he meets her ear, then whispers, “Please doll. Please trust me.”

There’s only one way to find out if he is as good as she thinks he is. “Okay hot stuff, let’s see what you got.”

James breaths out a heavy sigh, “I gotchu baby, I gotchu.”

Before she knows what’s happening, James lifts her up against the wall where her hips are equal to his. She let’s her hips fall open and wrap around his waist. He fits perfectly between her thighs and he starts rolling his hips against hers.

Emmie’s hands run up and down his spine as he kisses up and down her neck. Her senses are overloaded and she isn’t complaining. Her red star soul mark is tingling like never before and it feels _so good._ He feels _so good_.

His hands roam to her backside and start softly kneading. This pulls her core closer to his now hard member. She is impossibly _turned on._

Emmie grows hot at his touch and moans louder, “Hmm James,_ yes_.” Emmie pants near his ear as her hands race down his back, and grasp his shirt tightly.

“Good god doll, I’ve wanted this so badly.”

James leans in again to kiss her passionately but they are abruptly interrupted with a knock on the door.

“Yoowhoo! Emmie, James? You decent?” The couple hear Yvonne and Marius enter the apartment.

“UGH whyyyy!” Emmie resigns and rests her head on his chest while she closes her eyes. “Yes, we're in the living room Auntie.” Emmie responds back.

Emmie says again shyly, “I don’t want you to let me go, I-I really like being in your arms James.”

James kisses her forehead and lingers. He kisses both her cheeks and then her nose. “I don’t wanna let you go either, but uh, dollface?”

“Yeah hot stuff?”

James smirks softly, this woman _does _things to him. “Can you uh…help me with my..._problem_?”

He looks down and Emmie follows his gaze to find his hard member standing at attention, straining against his pants.

Emmie laughs. _Really _laughs. What is she going to do with this man?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you are liking the story so far. Let me know your thoughts! :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visitor comes to town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter but hopefully gives you some feels :) it's going to lead to a big next chapter!

James is on his way to the farm stand and stops by Marius’ stand to grab his coffee and Emmie’s tea. As he waits in line, he scans the market like he usually does. Eyeing for potential threats and anything out of the ordinary. Also scanning his quickest escape routes but he knows those by memory now.

But when his eyes land on his girl, he’s suddenly more alert.

There’s this guy he’s never seen working behind the stand with Emmie and Yvonne. He’s never seen this guy _period_.

He’s tall and slender, standing at around 6 feet, with short brown hair that is styled back. His facial structure and eyes look eerily similar to Emmie’s.

Both Emmie and Yvonne seem to have an easy rapport with him, almost as if they’ve met him before. Almost as if they have known him for a long time.

If she’s known him for a while, why wouldn’t she tell him about this guy? Why is he just finding out about this now?

James is pulled out of his senses when the line in front of him has disappeared and Marius is yelling at him to step up.

“The usual James?”

“Yes please, and a tea for Emmie.”

“You bet.” Marius notices how James keeps looking over his shoulder at the farm stand. He smirks at how James is thrown off.

“So uh, who’s the new guy?” James shrugs his head towards the guy helping Yvonne move boxes from the truck to the farm stand.

Marius can’t resist poking a little fun at James again. He says nonchalantly, “Yvonne’s newest employee.”

James chuckles, “Like Yvonne needs any help…wait…does that mean I’m being replaced?”

Marius laughs unrestrainedly, “Only if you want to be boy.”

He then hands James his coffee and then turns to make Emmie’s tea.

“How is it going with Emmie?” Marius teases James.

James reddens as he looks down as he softly smiles. “Good. Real good.”

Marius nods and hands James the tea. “Now don’t keep my niece waiting. I like seeing her this happy.”

“Thank you, Marius.” He takes the tea. “And me too.”

“Now go on and see your girl.”

James nods and turns towards the farm stand. His eyebrows pinch together at what Marius said. It’s like he knows what’s going on with him and Emmie. It’s like he knows more than he should.

Does James let on more than he realizes? He feels like he’s only showing his feelings to Emmie, but apparently others have noticed…

James hangs back a bit longer to watch this guy interact with Emmie and Yvonne. He isn’t sure if he needs to step in to protect her, to assert his dominance, or just let it be.

But when he sees the guy hug Emmie tightly and her smile widens, all he sees is red. He wants to tear this guy off his soulmate and pummel him for even thinking of touching her.

He takes a sip of his coffee and starts to walk towards his soulmate. But with each step, he feels calmer and happier because Emmie is there. He knows she wouldn’t want him to do anything violent. He can tell she’s the person who wouldn’t even hurt an ant.

He’s found his girl and he still can’t believe it. But there’s no way in hell he’s letting her go anytime soon or doing anything that will jeopardize being with her.

Emmie is busy bagging up some produce when her gaze lifts up and she finds her handsome hunk standing one vendor away already admiring her.

Her smile instantly brightens, and she puts down what she is doing to race around the counter and into his arms. He can’t control his own jubilant smile as he wraps her up into his frame. Her reaction to seeing him is all he could ever ask for. So genuine and pure.

If only she knew who he truly is…and selfishly, he doesn’t want to spoil that reaction by telling her everything.

Emmie’s arms shift to around his neck and he bends down slightly to accommodate her so he doesn’t lift her off the ground. Her back arches so her chest is flush with his.

She runs her hand through his hair as she leans her head to the side and kisses the spot on his neck right under his ear at the corner of his jaw.

Then she leans up to put her lips right next to his ear, “Good morning hot stuff.”

James grips her waist tighter into his embrace. He loves what her voice does to him, the words she uses. He starts to feel himself get hard with her body pressed up against his. He hopes she doesn’t feel it, he doesn’t want her feeling like he can’t control himself around her.

James pulls away to look into her gleaming hazel eyes. “Mornin’ doll.”

He doesn’t know if she’s alright with him kissing her in public so he resigns to placing a short, delicate kiss on her forehead. She hasn’t been this affectionate with him in public before so he’s going to take that slow with her.

Emmie pulls away and sees his hands full. “Please tell me that’s tea this time?”

James cackles. “Yes baby, wouldn’t do that to you ever again.”

“Yesssss thank you!” She hugs him snuggly one more time.

“Anything for you doll.” He leans his head down onto hers and smiles.

Emmie pats his back, “Come on you hunk, there’s someone special I gotta introduce you to.” Then she moves to tug his free hand and pull him behind the counter.

The man is behind the stand at the truck unloading boxes. Emmie races back there with James in tow.

James sees him and immediately stiffens. He holds Emmie’s elbow tight to his side and she stops in her step. She can see the panic in his eyes and his shoulders stand taller. Broader too. He takes half a step in front of her, almost as if he is attempting to block any danger from her.

She isn’t sure if she should laugh or find it endearing. He seems to want to be protective of her. She blushes at someone wanting to be protective of her.

“Hey hot stuff, he’s a good guy. Promise.”

James looks down into her eyes and can tell she is being truthful. He feels her hand rub along his forearm to try to calm him down, and it starts to work. He nods slowly as he relinquishes his hold on her and steps back.

The man had stopped moving boxes and stood by the side of the truck waiting for the couple to step forward. He smiles softly as Emmie leads James closer to the truck.

She tugs James close to her right side and then wraps her arm around his middle as he lands his metal arm around her shoulder. She looks up at his gorgeous face and smiles proudly.

“James, I’d like you to meet Connor.” She turns her gaze towards this man and James follows.

Connor steps forward with a charming, easy smile and his hand out stretched. “Nice to meet you, you must be James by the heart eyes on Emmie’s face.”

James shakes his hand tentatively and eyes him up and down.

“Connor!” Emmie scolds him and sends him a playful death glare.

“Eh, you know it’s true.”

“So, how do you two know each other?” James questions inquisitively.

“Wow seriously Emmie? You didn’t tell him about me yet?!”

James is starting to sweat, what isn’t Emmie telling him?

“I’m sorry Connor! I just got caught up…in him. Can you blame me?”

“Hell no! He’s a looker alright. Good on you for snatching him up.” Connor smirks and nods his head at James.

James feels like he’s invisible in between them. They are talking about him right in front of him. It’s a weird and uncomfortable feeling, so he coughs to get their attention back to his question.

“Right! You asked a question. Sorry handsome. Connor here is my younger brother.”

James immediately closes his eyes and slumps his shoulders in relief. Of course he overreacted. He’s upset that he didn’t trust Emmie more with the people in her life. But he just doesn’t want her hurt again. From what she has told him, she has dealt with too many assholes in her life already.

James starts to chuckle slowly at the realization of what’s happening. He kisses his girl’s temple.

“Didn’t know she had one but it’s an honor to meet you Connor.”

~~

Emmie treated the boys to lunch and ice cream after the market ended today. When they were enjoying their ice cream, Emmie escaped to the restroom and it gave the boys a moment alone. James sat there awkwardly not knowing what to do or what to say. He can’t even make eye contact with Connor as he feels like an idiot for earlier.

Connor finally breaks the silence, “You should tell her, you know.”

That got James’ attention. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t fool yourself James. Guys like you don’t date girls like my sister without an agenda.”

“Guys like me? What’s that supposed to mean?” James is completely on edge now.

“Seriously?”

James looks incredulously at him, shaking his head like he doesn’t know what’s going on.

“Someone as hot as you doesn’t date my sister without a specific reason. Don’t get me wrong, my sister is an angel and has been through so much where she deserves someone to treat her like a queen. But I’ve seen her manipulated beyond reason on multiple occasions. So, you’re either a douche dating her for her money or something like that…or…someone very special.

_Does being perceptive run in the family?_

“And I can already tell you’re very special. The way you stepped in front of her today when she brought you back to the truck like you were going to protect her from something said enough And you’ve been doting on her like you actually care for her and want her to be happy. I’ve never seen anyone treat her the way you do.” Connor pauses before he speaks again. “You’re her soulmate, aren’t you?” Connor finished smugly.

James can’t believe what he’s hearing. How did Connor figure this out so quickly?

James nods softly. “You a detective or something?”

Connor softly laughs as he leans forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasp together. “Look I just know my sister. We have been through enough with our devil of a mother. She more so than me…”

“…That bad?”

“You could say so. She’ll tell you when she’s ready.”

“I’ll wait.”

“Good answer. But I need you to know, she really values honesty and openness. I know she doesn’t know who you are yet because if she did, she would _never_ leave your side.

Connor sits back up.

“She’s been looking for you for her entire life. Everyday she’d go on these tangents about how life with her soulmates will be the best days of her life and she couldn’t wait to meet you. It would annoy the hell out of me but she couldn’t wait to start that part of her life. So for your sake and hers, please tell her. Because I can promise you, if you don’t, it’s not going to end well for you.” Connor added sternly at the end.

James can tell Connor is a smart and good man. Even as her younger brother, Connor is sticking up for Emmie at every moment and fiercely protecting her. He truly respects that. And appreciates it.

Without hearing Emmie creep back to the table, the boys were interrupted as she plopped herself back down at her seat.

Emmie smiles down at two of her favorite guys. “So, what’d I miss?”

~~

As the three get up to leave, James stays close to her, placing his right hand on her lower back as he leads them out onto the street. When they make it outside, his hand inches closer to her right hip and tugs her closer to his side.

Emmie smiles at what he’s doing. She has really grown to like how protective he gets and how he wants to be close to her. It makes her feel special.

She decides to wrap her left arm around his waist and hold him tighter to her. If this is going to be a short-term fling, then she is going to enjoy every moment of it. Especially since he’s the hottest person she’s ever dated.

Emmie looks up at him with a sweet shy smile and snuggles closer. But before she settles in, she moves his right hand to rest on her shoulder and for the first time ever, interlaces their fingers. She kisses his hand and then holds James closer.

James warms at her kiss. Everything she does makes him feel like this is all too good to be true and that she will be taken away at any moment.

“Ugh you two make me sick. Can you please stop?”

“You’re just jealous Connor.”

“Of course I’m jealous! I’m lonely in London.”

“Oh please, you can get anyone you want anytime you want.”

“True…but I want what you just found.”

James glares at Connor over Emmie’s shoulder. He _can’t_ have Connor reveal his truth before he tells her himself.

Emmie squeezes James’ hand and says softly, “Yeah.” Then under her breath she whispers to herself. “I found someone really special.”

James’ heart explodes. Emmie is so pure and kind hearted, he’s scared he doesn’t deserve her.

James leans in to kiss the top of her head. What is he going to do with his sweet doll?

~~

As the three of them make their way back to the apartment, they chat about how everything has been going for Emmie in Bucharest and Connor updates them on school life in London. This is the first time he has visited since he moved there. And Emmie is so glad he surprised them, she had been missing him too much.

When they approach the apartment building, they find Yvonne working on some landscaping in the front.

“Hey Aunt Von,” Connor calls over to her.

Yvonne turns around, wipes her forehead and with a huge smile on her face. “Hey you guys! How was lunch?”

James and Emmie are still interlocked in each other’s arms but James looks down, seeming a little nervous but Emmie perks up.

“So good Auntie! We got ice cream too.”

Yvonne smiles at her niece, “That sounds like such a nice afternoon. How about you and Connor head upstairs? I need to have a word with James.”

Emmie can feel James tighten up under her arms and she rubs her left hand along his side and squeezes his flesh hand for encouragement. She leans her head up to his and whispers, “She doesn’t bite. You got this. Come find me upstairs after.” She kisses his cheek and then leaves him with Yvonne on the stoop.

James gulps. He isn’t ready for Yvonne to scold him. She is more frightening than Connor.

“You here to give me a stern talking to as well?”

Yvonne laughs quietly. “No James, just wanted to check in with you. I know how Emmie is doing, but wanted to make sure you’re doing well too.”

James can see where Emmie gets her soft nature from. “I’m good.”

“Well good. I know Emmie can be _a lot_. She just has so much passion and love to give and sometimes it can be intense if you’re not ready for it. I’ve never seen her this happy. Ever.”

James reddens at the compliment. “She’s special to me.”

Yvonne sees her opening. She wanted to be subtle, but soulmate-talk isn’t a subtle subject. “Like being her soulmate special?”

James groans. “You too?”

“I flew Connor out to surprise Emmie this weekend and I told him about it because he is insanely protective of her. But I found out on your birthday. I saw your reaction to seeing her necklace and you two have been glued at the hip since.”

All the pieces are falling into place for James. “Didn’t realize I was that obvious.”

“Neither does Emmie, but she’s oblivious to a lot. Me on the other hand, I’ve been around enough to know what a soulmate connection looks like.”

“I’m scared to tell her.” James isn’t sure why he is telling Yvonne this but it just spills out of him easily.

“You’ve already won her over, I can see her heart is yours. But the sooner the better James, because she deserves to know.”

All he can do is nod. He _knows_ he has to tell Emmie, but he is terrified how she will react. He wants their perfect little bubble to continue but he’s worried if he tells her…that the bubble will pop.

Yvonne turns around after they enter in the apartment building front entrance. “And James?”

“Hm?”

“We couldn’t be happier that you’re one of her soulmates.”

James’ heart swells at her confession. All of this seems too good to be true.

As he follows Yvonne into the elevator and up to their floor, he starts to think and plan how he will tell his doll he’s her soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will James finally tell her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!!! Wow so so sorry for the long wait. Moving and starting my job has been crazy and then this public health crisis we are all living in has taken a toll on my anxiety. But I am working on channeling my energy into this moving forward. Thank you so much for your patience!
> 
> There is a lot that happens in this chapter so don't hate me! Hope you enjoy it! I've really appreciated all the comments on the chapters so far, it gives me encouragement to keep going! And I am going to work on posting more frequently now that I am working from home :)
> 
> Please stay safe and healthy during these uncertain times, I am sending virtual hugs and love to each and everyone of you. We will get through this together!! <3

The next night, Yvonne and Marius wanted to take Connor out around town, especially to Marius’ favorite bars and spend some quality time with their nephew. So this left Emmie and James with another free date night at her apartment. That night it was particularly chilly, so they decided to stay in again. It’s a safe, intimate space for them to be themselves with no prying eyes or ears.

Emmie thinks back to her conversation with Connor last night and it makes her blush, but she’s still trying to process all the emotions she has. Too many at once.

~~

_The previous night_

_The 2 siblings are sitting on Emmie’s bed as they binge watch Brooklyn 99. A show Emmie got Connor hooked on and it became their thing to watch together. They both laugh at every episode as much as they did the first time through._

_But Connor can’t shake James out of his mind. He can’t honestly believe that Emmie has finally found one of her soulmates, yet she has no clue he is right in front of her. She is absolutely oblivious sometimes._

_But he loves her to pieces, she has been there for him through thick and thin. She’s one of the strongest people he knows, and she may not know it, but he looks up to her._

_Because of this, he wants her to get everything she has ever dreamed of. He knows she wants to have a successful career; she wouldn’t have gotten her masters if she didn’t. But deep down? He knows Emmie truly wants to find her 2 soulmates and live out her life with them. She is such a sappy, hopeless romantic at heart._

_Connor leans over to the laptop and pauses the show._

_“Hey! We were just getting to the good part!”_

_“Ems.”_

_Emmie can hear the seriousness in Connor’s voice and she immediately sits up. “What is it Connor?”_

_Connor lets go of a breath and smiles softly. “I…I just want you to know…to know that I like James. I can tell he’s good for you.”_

_Emmie can’t believe her ears. She dramatically attempts to clean her ears out so she can be sure she heard him clearly. “Excuse me? Say that again?”_

_Connor rolls his eyes at her. She can be so dramatic at times. “You heard me loud and clear Ems.”_

_Emmie looks down at her lap and starts to fiddle with the blanket laying across her lap. She can feel the pressure build up behind her eyes. Why does she feel like she is going to cry right now?!_

_“You-you mean that? Like seriously mean it?” Emmie asks nervously. _

_Connor reaches over to hold her hands. “Amelia,” Emmie groans and throws her head back, but she knows it’s all business when he uses her birth name._

_“Have I ever approved of a guy you have dated?”_

_Emmie sighs knowing the answer, “No…”_

_“Exactly. So, me giving you my stamp of approval means that much more. I mean you don’t need me to give you approval to date anyone or to do anything in life, and now I am getting away from the point.” Connor takes a breath to regain his conviction. He needs Emmie to believe him on what he is about to tell her. “James? He is a good man. A really good man. He cares for you deeply and it is real. And you know I wouldn’t bullshit you. Plus I may or may not have put him on the spot when you went to the restroom at lunch—”_

_Connor flinches away as he knows what’s coming. “CONNOR!” _

_Emmie slaps him on the back of his head while a few giggles escape but then she leans in and wraps her arms around his shoulders and holds him close to his chest. _

_Connor doesn’t shy away from the hug and holds her tight. He knows she needs this right now. _

_He can barely hear her whisper out a “thank you” as he feels a few tears run down his neck._

_“Ems, please don’t cry—”_

_“I’m sorry I can’t help it. You know I’m a crier.” At that they both chuckle. _

_“You don’t have to thank me. It’s my brotherly duty to protect you.”_

_Emmie doesn’t know how to respond so all she does is nod._

_Connor then pulls away and looks into her eyes. “But you have to make me a promise.”_

_“Depends on the promise.”_

_Connor glares at his sister, smiling at how she can still find humor in all of this, in the hurricane of emotions swirling around in her heart._

_“Promise me you’ll follow your heart. Your big, intelligent, curious brain can sometimes get in the way and I want you to be happy. James makes you happy right?”_

_“Stupidly happy. It feels like I’m in a dream and I’m gonna wake up soon and it’s all going to be over.”_

_“I know the feeling…but you deserve this happiness. You deserve him. Please follow your heart. And don’t doubt your feelings. Please.” She can feel the begging from his voice in her heart. Because she has had those thoughts too. _

_Connor doesn’t ever ask much of her, so if he is asking her for this? She is going to try her hardest. _

_Emmie nods, “I’ll try.”_

_Connor knows that’s the best he’ll get out of her. He needs to lighten the mood up. “Alright, turn 99 back on so we can see cute-ass Cheddar.”_

_~~_

Emmie had been in her head all day thinking about the conversation she had with Connor last night. Something must have happened between him and James for him to get all sappy and serious with her. He rarely initiates serious conversations like that.

And when James asked her on a date tonight, she could sense things were a little more…serious. And not the usual playful, and sometimes flirty banter. Which is fine, but they are crossing new boundaries and getting closer the more dates they go on.

Emmie wanted to cook an entire meal for James and try out her skills on a new recipe. She could feel how their relationship has shifted. It’s definitely gotten much more romantic. And it’s the most romantic relationship she’s had and they aren’t even official yet. That says a lot about the past guys she’s been with…3 years with Henry and it only took her 3 dates with James to surpass all of that? _Yikes._

She knows he likes Italian cuisine, so she picked out a chicken fettucine alfredo pasta dish, with garlic bread, a side salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, croutons, feta cheese, and balsamic dressing, and finally finishing out the meal with tiramisu.

She knew it was a large meal for just the two of them but after their last few dates, she knew James would eat everything she cooked. He seemed to be a bottomless pit when it came to food.

Emmie also wanted to dress up for her hunk. She still doesn’t believe why someone as beautiful as him would even look her way, or even give her the time of day. He is too out of her league but since he still wants to take her out on dates, she will do her best to keep his attention for as long as she can. She does notice that she has been putting the most effort into dating James, she’s never been this engaged and passionate about someone before.

As she’s getting ready, she looks down at her soul marks. She rubs them tenderly and smiles softly. Somehow after all this time and after all the heartbreak, she still holds out hope on meeting them one day. She gets these tingles, bursts of electricity, and dashes of warmth from her red star mark whenever she’s with James, oddly enough, especially when they get physical. She wonders if that’s a sign or some type of coincidence. Emmie shakes her head at the ridiculous thought and continues to get all pretty for her night with her hot date. She would never be paired with a soulmate as hot as him. _Right?_

Emmie decides on a pale blue v-neck dress with ruffles and short sleeves. It feels springy enough but also dressier to look like she made an effort. The light blue reminds her of his blue eyes. It’s not the same color but the softness of the color reminds her of how softly he looks at and treats her.

And since telling James, she has been much more comfortable not covering them up when they are together in private. He seems to be very accepting of her soul marks and she often finds him staring at her marks with a wistful look in his eyes.

She can tell he has something on his mind or has something to tell her when he sees her soul marks but she isn’t going to push him. He will tell her on his own time.

As she finishes lighting the candles on the dinner table, she hears a knock at the door. Emmie takes a big deep breath and smooths out her dress as she heads towards the front door.

James can hear her small heels click against the wooden floor as she gets closer. He can hear her heartrate speed up a little bit more and her breathing wavers slightly as she takes a deep breath. _Is she nervous too? _

Emmie finally opens the door and she is taken aback by her handsome hunk. _Again._

He stands there before her in dark jeans, a black button up, and his hair pulled back behind his ears, which showcases his neatly trimmed facial hair and his blue eyes. His hands are full with a bouquet of pink flowers. But these ones are not roses.

His shy smile slowly appears as he takes in his soul mate. _Soul mate. _And her necklace is on full display, just the way he likes it.

He still can’t get over it he’s dating his soul mate. And tonight is hopefully going to be the night.

James finally breaks the silence of them admiring each other, “Hey beautiful.”

Emmie blushes. She blushes every time he tells her that. She still isn’t used to him calling her that. “Well hello my handsome hunk.”

Now it’s James’ turn to blush. He hides his face as he looks down into the flowers. He extends the flowers to her. “These are for you.”

Emmie smiles sweetly at him and takes the flowers. She recognizes them immediately as she gets a closer look. She is stunned silent.

James is worried her silence means she doesn’t like them. He tries to justify it all. “Yvonne said you like flowers that have meaning behind them and I d-did some research and found these ranunculus flowers. They mean—”

Emmie interrupts softly and in disbelief, “You’re dazzled by my charm?”

James laughs at himself. Of course she would figure it out. He looks down into her hazel eyes. “Yes dollface.”

Emmie is nervous to ask this next question, but she has to ask him. _She has to know. _

“Do…do you have a crush…on…me?” She can’t even look him in the eyes she’s so nervous.

_God, this woman._ James cannot get _enough _of her. She is so soft yet bold. Calling him out even though she doesn’t think she’s strong.

James inches closer to her and puts his hands in his pockets. With a nervous shrug, he looks down at his feet. “What would you say if I do?” _Why is he so goddamn nervous around her?!_

James holds his breath as he waits for Emmie’s response.

Emmie’s smile widens and she has a small smirk. And she knows he doesn’t see it. Yet.

“Kiss me. _Right now.”_

James whips his head up to look at her. And she is dead serious. He can’t believe his ears. _Did he hear her correctly?_ Did she tell him to kiss her? Almost like a demand?

But he ain’t gotta be told twice. Without saying another word, James takes the last step closer to his doll and envelopes her in his embrace. He puts his flesh hand on the back of her neck and holds her face close to his. His metal arm wraps around her lower waist so she can’t back away. He feels her arms tighten around his neck as he leans down and passionately kisses his soul mate.

Their lips move in tandem as they kiss each other with heightened fervor. The kiss is nothing like any other kiss they have shared. The tingling, hot, warm kiss shares a promise. It promises truth, protectiveness, and realness. It shows her a connection, and a _real_ one at that.

Emmie can’t think. All she can do is feel. He has consumed her and she feels his metal hand grip her waist tighter, his flesh hand pull her closer to him. She feels him back her against the hallway wall and it causes her to moan into his mouth. And this kiss just went somewhere she never expected it to.

The kiss is now hotter and more rushed. They are both grasping at each other as if the other will slip away if either lets go.

Emmie moves her hand not holding the flowers down his back and holds tight to his back. Their cores are now flush against each other and she can feel him. How turned on he is. And it’s what brings her back to reality.

Emmie turns her head to the side as James moves his kisses down her neck. His kisses are lighter as he paves a path down to her collarbone and his warm breath on her fuels the wetness in her core.

_God, _Emmie wants him _so bad._ She loves how he takes all of her in. But this is moving too fast. Too soon for her.

“James…” Emmie pants.

James takes a quick second to respond, “Yeah babygirl?” He returns to kissing her neck. Emmie decides she likes his lips on her more than just her mouth.

Emmie rubs her free hand up and down his back slowly, as if to break him out of their bubble. She murmurs into his ear, “What are the neighbors gonna think if they catch us like this?”

“Don’t care doll.” And he really didn’t. Having her at his mercy like this…having her respond to him like this? It’s more than anything he expected. And his body was feeling _alive_ with all the tingles exploding from her soul mark. He didn’t want that to stop.

Emmie is struggling with wanting to go inside and wanting to continue _this. _The way he is touching her is setting her skin and heart on fire. He is igniting that need within her and she knows it needs to stop.

“We’re never gonna make it to dinner at this rate if you keep kissing me like that hot stuff.”

James ignores her, “Mhm” and continues to give her light, feathery kisses. _She ain’t wrong about that._

Emmie is trapped by his body against the wall and she knows she can’t overpower him, but she knows what will.

“I made fettuccine alfredo.”

Just as she expected, James’ head pops up and he looks down at her. Their height difference very evident in this position. In all seriousness, he says, “Well why didn’t you start with that?”

If Emmie could throw her head back, she would. Her eyes close and she laughs from her belly and drops her head forward onto his chest.

James can feel her body rumble from her laughter and he holds her closer as her arms shift to hold him around his waist. He will never be tired of holding his doll.

“What am I going to do with you?”

“Uh…feed me?”

~~

James groans as he takes his last bite of the tiramisu. “Mmmm babygirl, that was delicious. Feel free to make that again whenever you want.”

James had pulled Emmie onto his lap when she had served dessert. They were playfully teasing each other under the table during dinner and he couldn’t take it anymore. He just had to be closer to her and feel her against him.

At one point, James and Emmie started feeding each other bites of the cake. It got too kittenish and Emmie smeared one small piece all over James’ mouth. He was shocked but liked the playfulness. He was going to smear it right back on her but she got the jump on him and started licking the cake off his mouth right there and then. She left frisky kisses all over his face and his grip on her hips tightened. Her touch is lighting the soul mark on him ablaze. The tingles and pulses are making him too _excited_ for this moment.

Emmie giggles at him, “Alright hot stuff, I’ll keep that under advisement.”

He gently kisses her temple and keeps his head there against hers, breathing her in. After eating the tiramisu, she smells like vanilla and nutmeg. He hums against her head and relaxes against her.

Emmie rubs her hand up and down his flesh bicep, “You get enough to eat James?”

“Yeah doll, I’m stuffed.”

“Yayyyy and lucky for you I have another surprise for you tonight.”

“You’re spoiling me doll. Now...tell me, whatcha got?”

“Ummm…”

“Yeah doll?”

“Sorry just nervous…the last time I did something nice for a guy it completely blew up in my face.”

James holds Emmie’s chin and lifts it up so she is looking at him. “I promise it won’t blow up in your face. Have I ever gotten mad at you?”

“…No…”

“Okay, now tell me what this special surprise is babygirl.”

Emmie says quickly and in one breath, “ImayormaynothavefixedtherecordplayersowecouldplaysomemusictonightandIthoughtyoumightlikeit.”

James chuckles. He likes it when she gets all flustered. He smiles sweetly down at her. His doll is beyond thoughtful. She went to the trouble to fix the record player for him so they could listen to music? Just because he said he likes record players? _Wow. _

James lets go of her chin and kisses her so softly. His breath spanning over her lips and leaving her wanting more when he pulls away.

“I’d really like that. You’re too good to me doll.”

“Oh thank god haha okay.” Emmie pauses and then says more quietly, “But can we sit here for a few more minutes? I like being here with you…in your arms.”

James squeezes her a little tighter. “You read my mind doll.”

They sit together for a few more minutes, just holding each other. Rubbing their hands softly and smoothly where they can.

Emmie’s breathing slows and she melts further into his arms. Her most favorite place to be.

She stretches her neck up and tilts her head back so she can kiss his cheek. But James quickly turns his face so their lips connect in a sweet peck.

James cups her cheek, “Will you dance with me beautiful?”

Emmie leans into his hand and hums. “I’d love to…but I’m warning you, I got 2 left feet.”

James leans down to kiss her forehead. “Don’t worry about that. I gotchu baby, I gotchu.”

James wraps both his arms under her shoulders and her knees and without saying anything, he lifts Emmie up bridal style. She squeals and clings to him, with his neck in her vice-like grip. But with each step he takes, Emmie feels the strong hold he has on her. She can feel she isn’t going anywhere or that he would drop her.

When they reach the record player, James places her gently down on the floor. “Next time will you warn me please?”

James has the decency to blush, “Sorry doll, I got carried away.”

“Wow and you can make good puns, what can’t you do?”

James doesn’t answer, he just moves his body to her back and holds her tight to his chest as she examines the very limited collection of vinyl records. He winds his arms around her front, across her waist but he feels her stiffen and hold her breath. _Did he do something wrong?_

Before he can ask, Emmie steps out of his hold and speaks up, with a vinyl in her hand. “This one was one of my grandaddy’s favorites. He danced with grammy for the first time to this when they were 10. Were together ever since until he died.”

James warms at how Emmie is opening up to him about her family and her past. He likes it when she puts down her walls. This little tid bit of romance from her granddaddy is pulling at his heart. He hopes that is exactly what happens with him and Emmie.

She moves to place the vinyl in the correct position and then places the needle on the disk. The next moment, both of them hear the melodic musical notes of _Love is Where you Find it _by the Andrew Sisters.

The second he hears the opening sound he freezes. It’s like he’s thrown back in time to the war days with this song. This is one thing he won't ever forget. The memories from that part of his life are more clear day by day. He remembers dancing with dames to this song and seeing the actual Andrews Sisters as they toured during the tour. But none of those dames were anything like his doll, _his soulmate._

Emmie asks hesitantly, “This song okay James? You seem like it brought back bad memories...”

James didn’t realize he let on as much as he did. He smiles back to Emmie and steps in close to her frame. _How can she always read him so well?_

“The opposite. Haven’t heard this in a long time.” James takes Emmie by the waist with his metal hand and reaches down to grab her left hand with his flesh one. He looks down into her glowing hazel eyes, “But I want new memories with you.”

Emmie could cry. This man is so sweet and gentle. He may look rough and tough on the outside, but inside, she’s found this soft, teeth-rotting sweet teddy bear of a man. She can’t believe she’s met someone like him. She just hopes that whatever they have is real.

James can tell Emmie is stunned in her spot so he helps her out. “Doll, move your right hand up to my shoulder.”

But after he says it, he mentally smacks himself because he doesn’t want her feeling the ridge of where the metal meets the skin. He holds his breath as she moves her hand from his chest to his shoulder.

He lucks out as Emmie places her hand closer to his collar bone, where his shoulder meets his neck. He let’s out a strained breath and pulls her closer and they finally begin to sway.

_Oh love is where you find it_

_No matter where you go_

_You may be in Kailua or Kokomo_

_You may be on the ocean_

_Or by a wishing well_

_The streetlights may be blinking when_

_You get that sinking spell_

Emmie melts into this hold and lays her head right near his heart. She can hear his ramming against his chest, making her feel less self-conscious about her own racing heartbeat. When she feels James kiss the top of her head, she smiles against his chest. _This man. _

James decides he just wants to sway with her. He starts to slowly shift his weight from left to right and back again. He brings their joined hands in between their chests, wanting to be touching her and be close to her at every possible moment.

_Cupid gets around back and forth_

_Now it's North Carolina_

_Then it's China_

_Doesn't seem to matter at all_

_You can fall on a hay pile or a slay ride_

_So wear a suit of armour_

_When you go out to play_

_'Cause love, love, love is where you'll find it_

_And you'll find it out some day_

James could live in this moment for the rest of his life. His soulmate in his arms, dancing to a sweet love song. Then he hears her hum along to the words. He can feel the vibrations in her throat against his chest and he might just burst from his precious doll.

He holds her even closer and then decides to bring her left hand up around his neck. She slides her other arm around the other side of his neck while both his arms hook around her waist and lay at her lower back. His forehead falls down onto hers and their noses are softly touching as they close their eyes and breath each other in.

_Oh love is where you’ll find it_

_And you find it everywhere_

_It happens in Tahiti and Old Times Square_

_You may be at a college quiz_

_And the answer is_

** _You look at her and sigh_ **

** _She looks into your eyes_ **

** _Ba-da-da love is where you’ll find it_ **

James knows the last few lines were speaking right to him. And of course, that is when Emmie lifts her head and looks right into his eyes. The way she looks at him, it’s like he knows she can see everything swimming around in his mind and see deep into his soul. But oddly enough he isn’t scared. Her eyes feel like they are wrapping around his soul and holding and hugging him tightly. Her eyes are his little haven from all the evil preying on his doorstep.

He leans down to kiss her forehead and she audibly sighs. _There it is again._ The little things she does set him off. But this time it sets his heart off, his heart pattering faster, with her standing against him not understanding what she’s doing to him.

_Oh love could happen_

_When you go out to play_

_But now you'll find it out some day_

_And then your life will be so sweet_

_And the world will be complete_

_Bah-da-da-da-da-da-da-da_

_So wear a suit of armour_

_When you go out to play, play play_

_Oh love (Oh love)_

_Oh love (Oh love)_

_Oh love is where find it_

_Da-da-da-da_

Emmie can’t hold back her tears. This song is so precious to her and she just shared it with a guy who she’s only known a few weeks. But she also feels like she’s known him her whole life, and he treats her like a princess. It just felt _right_ to share this song and this dance with him. Her granddaddy would approve of James, she just knows it. And even Connor gave her his blessing too. She is working hard to keep his words in the back of her mind, so she doesn’t overthink her feelings for James.

James moves his thumb to swipe the few tears leaking from her eyes and gently pulls her lips to his in the most loving kiss. Emmie can _feel_ how special he is by the way he kisses her. She can _feel _how her heart wants him. She wants him and this to be more than just dating, she wants to be his.

When they slowly pull apart, the lovebirds stare into each other’s eyes. James can feel his heart race and his eyes briefly mist up. He feels like he is living in a dream, the happiest dream he’s ever dreamt. He has his soulmate, who he’s been waiting to meet for almost 100 years, snuggled close in his arms, smiling up at him, with her beautiful sparkling hazel eyes. His breath catches in his throat when she happily sighs and tucks her head closer to his heart.

He knows this is his moment. He can feel it, deep down in his heart. He can’t let her slip through his fingers. He just can’t. He’s made it out on the other side and somehow his soulmate found him, and he found her. And she hasn’t left running either. But he’s scared shitless. He doesn’t know how she could react, and that has him nervous to break this little perfect, happy bubble they have built, because he loves seeing his Amelia this happy and carefree.

While stuck in his head, he didn’t realize that Emmie had taken a peak up at him. Emmie still couldn’t get over the fact that she was here, slow dancing with the most beautiful man she has ever seen. And he is holding her with so much care, it scares her. _How could she keep the attention of this beautiful specimen of a man? Why does he like her? And why does she like him so much?_

“Somethin’ on your mind?”

_There she goes again, reading him like a book._ James looks into her eyes, “Always dollface.”

“I’m all ears.”

_This is it. He has to tell her now._

“You might want to sit down for this.”

Emmie can see the stress written all over his face. She tries to lighten the mood with a joke, “Uh oh, must be really serious if you need me to sit down.” She adds a small giggle. But he doesn’t know it’s a nervous giggle.

James guides Emmie to the couch and he sits her down next to him, so he can look deep into her eyes. With a deep breath, he takes her hands into his lap and gives them a gentle and reassuring squeeze.

He can feel Emmie’s heart rate speed up in his hands and doesn’t like how he’s making her nervous. Her pupils are dilated and she’s trying so hard to keep calm for him. But he sees right through it. _God, she’s strong._

“As much as I like having deep conversations with you, you’re giving me gray hairs waiting here.” She gives him a small side smile. He knows humor is a defense mechanism for her. She laughs through her pain, her anger, her anxiety, her sadness, her frustration. She’s always putting on a brave face for others even though she’s terrified underneath it all. _So damn strong._

There’s no more time to stall. He gets a firmer hold on her hands. “There’s been something I’ve been meaning to tell you Amelia—”

“Oh please just tell me already.”

Without thinking, he just says the one thing at the top of his mind. “We’re soulmates.”

James doesn’t miss a beat. He’s all in now.

He wishes Steve was here to help him with this. He’d know what to do. But he’s alone with his soulmate and he’s never been this scared of a response in his life.

Out of nowhere, Emmie bursts out into laughter. She bows her head forward and then throws her head back as her laughs get louder. James is utterly _confused_. _What is happening right now?!_

“HAHAHAHAHA good ones James, you almost had me fooled there for a minute.”

James is at a loss. He doesn’t understand what’s so funny about what he told Emmie.

Emmie keeps going, “You’re waaaayyyyyy too beautiful to be my soulmate.” _There it is, her insecurities coming out._ “If it really is true, then I’m sorry that you’re stuck with someone like me.” Emmie keeps laughing through her words. She turned her body where she’s slumped against the back of the couch, looking away from James.

This is a make or break moment for James, he can either soldier on or give up.

He grabs her chin and pulls her face close to his, and does not waiver when he says, “Amelia.”

Emmie immediately stops laughing. She can see the sternness in his eyes, the unrelenting truth, how scared he is.

“Oh fuck,” she replies barely above a whisper. “You’re not kidding…”

James shakes his head back and forth. He’s too scared to say anything right now.

All he can feel that will help give her the truth is if she sees _it._

He slowly pulls away, like he’s afraid she will run off if he lets go of her. He stands up off the couch and takes a step back. Taking one last final breath, he slowly lifts up the shirt on his left side. As he inches his shirt up his torso, he’s watching her every move. Analyzing every movement in her face, her body language, her breathing, trying to gauge her emotions.

Once he knows she can see the mark, as he’s memorized the exact location on his body, he stops. He can’t move. Now _he can’t seem to breathe._

Emmie goes still. She doesn’t move a single centimeter. All she sees is yellows and browns and greens. Her focus is in disarray with this situation. But she forces herself to look harder. The shape, the shading, it all looks familiar. _Too familiar._

James can feel her holding her breath, he knows this is about to blow up.

“No…” Emmie brings her hands to cover her mouth. “No no no no no—”

James lowers his shirt and tries to rush over to her, but she pulls her hands back and stands up. She looks at him dumbfoundedly as she starts to pace the living room in a panic.

James really needs her to calm down. He says softly, “Amelia.”

“Why the _hell_ do you have a pineapple on your body?”

“Amelia, please—”

“Don’t fucking ‘_please’ _me! Answer my _goddamn_ question!”

James can see the red in her eyes, the veins popping in her neck, her heartrate rising too quickly. He knows exactly what is about to happen. And he doesn’t know how to stop it.

“Babygirl, please take a deep breath for me, we can get through this—"

“NO! You don’t get to sweet talk me right now! And what’s all this _we_ crap you’re saying?!”

“Amelia, you’re stressed right now, I know, but please, let’s talk this out.”

“Nooooo, why would I be stressed James?! Because I just saw the exact same pineapple on your body that happens to be the pendant necklace Auntie gave me?!”

James can see Emmie is on the brink. One more wrong move and she’s not his anymore.

He takes a small step towards her but she steps away in sync with him. He stops in his tracks and looks into her scared hazel eyes.

James says as softly as he can as he attempts to reach out, “Please come back to me doll. It’s going to be okay.”

“How do you know that?!”

“I know because that’s your soul mark babydoll.” He pauses before he begins again, “You’re my soulmate Amelia.”

And the dam breaks. Amelia breaks into sobs as tears stream down her face. Her breathing is all out of sorts and she’s gasping for air as she collapses.

James catches her before she hits the floor hard. He brings her tense body into his chest as he sinks onto the carpet. James holds her close and starts to pet her hair slowly, trying to calm her down. He can feel her give into the sensation and he’s grateful she’s letting him in.

“I gotchu baby, I gotchu. I promise.”

Emmie feels as if her world has been turned upside down and she grips onto James that much tighter. She can’t believe what’s happening, all she knows is that she can’t lose him. Feeling his body under hers gives her the comfort she needs right now. He’s there. He’s there with her.

It takes a few minutes for Emmie’s breathing to level out. “I-is this really happening? Did that just ha-hap-happen?”

James kisses her temple with every ounce of care. He holds the kiss longer than usual, wanting to show her he isn’t going anywhere. 

“Yeah…yeah it did.” James struggles to keep his voice steady, as he’s just as scared as she is. He wants to be enough for her. He can’t lose her, because he’s already lost enough.

“…I’m scared.” Emmie barely whispers out.

James squeezes Emmie closer to his chest. “I know…but it’s gonna be okay babygirl.”

Emmie is emotionally exhausted so all she can do is hum in agreeance.

While her mind tries to wind down, she suddenly realizes something.

Emmie tenses in his hold, “James…”

James can hear the dread in her voice, “Yes doll?”

Emmie is terrified to ask but she has to know. “…How long have you known that we are,” she moves her hand back and forth in between their bodies, “soulmates?”

James was hoping she wouldn’t ask him this. He can sense her trepidation, so he doesn’t know how to answer her question.

Emmie starts to freak out over his prolonged silence. She punctuates each part of her question. “How long. Have you. _Known?_”

“…Since my birthday dinner.” James shrinks into himself, knowing she isn’t going to be happy.

Emmie immediately freezes. _That’s over two weeks ago! He’s known for two weeks?!_ She can’t think right now, she is feeling everything. Frustration, anger, disappointment, betrayal, sadness.

She quickly pushes away from him and stands up and turns away from him. She can’t even look at him. “I need some space. And time.”

_This must be the end for him. _“Doll…what are you saying?”

With a sharp, cold edge to her voice, she replies, “I need you to leave.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“You don’t mean that baby.”

“Hell yes I do. Now get the hell out.” She turns on him quickly and glares at him menacingly. But behind the glare, he sees tears welling up in her eyes again. _She’s hurting._

He tries to soothe her, “Please don’t do this babygirl. Please let me explain.”

“Get out of my sight. Get out of this apartment. GET OUT!”

Emmie starts to charge at him and he doesn’t know what to do. He backs up towards the front door while she stomps closer to him. He doesn’t stop until his back bumps against the door. She reaches around him and yanks the door open.

“GET! OUT!”

“Please Amelia, please—”

James stumbles out of the doorway. Emmie slams the door in his face and he isn’t quick enough to stop the door from closing.

James stands there only inches away from his soulmate with sorrow and confusion. _How the hell did that get so out of control?_ _What just happened?!_

His eyes get glossy as he’s never felt so far away from someone even though she’s on the other side of the door. Her sobs are echoing loudly in his ears, it’s the only thing he can hear. Hear her yelling ‘get out of my sight!’ on repeat, crushing his soul.

He played this so wrong. In every possible way. But he doesn’t know how he could have done it any better. He just wants his doll back, he wants his soulmate. _He just found her._

He can’t contain his anger and he turns around and punches the hallway wall with his metal hand. He punches it so hard that his arm goes through the wall all the way up to his elbow.

James hadn’t heard the footsteps coming down the hall in his daze but he heard gasps after he punched the wall. He turns to his right and finds Yvonne, Marius, and Connor standing there with their jaws dropped to the floor.

Yvonne finally speaks up, laced with concern, “James…what happened?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! What did you think?


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will the two soulmates reconcile?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies! I hope you are enjoying your weekend and taking time for yourself. 
> 
> Thank you for your patience as always and thank you for all the passionate and enthusiastic comments! It warms my heart knowing I have readers who are invested in this story like I am. <3
> 
> Enjoy! :)

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?! WHAT DID YOU DO JAMES?!”

Connor charges at James but before he can get any closer, Marius steps in his path and blocks him.

“No, Connor.” Marius puts his hand on Connor’s shoulder.

“How can you say no when you hear her bawling 10 feet away?!”

Marius raises his eyebrows as if to challenge Connor to say something more.

“Do you not see the anguish on his face? Do you not see the regret? The fear?”

Connor takes a moment to study James’ face, his slumped shoulders, his hair falling in front to cover his emotions. He sees a man in pain. And he knows exactly why.

“Fuck…you told her…and she didn’t take it well.”

James looks up to Connor at that and he can register remorse in his face. _Why would he feel remorse?_

Connor starts again, “And-and it’s my fault, I told you to tell her. UGH! This is all my fault. I should have known she would have freaked out. Let me go talk to her. I’ll talk her down.”

James feels like the walls are closing in on him with Emmie’s family here crowding him. They are looking at him with so much pity, he can’t handle it. He needs to get away from here. From the people who remind him of his soul mate. From her. _Is she still his soulmate if she rejects him?_

He needs to get out. _Now._

Yvonne and Marius walk Connor to the apartment door. They get him inside but Yvonne wants to check on James before she attends to her niece.

“James? Are you—”

But when she turns around, he’s nowhere in sight. He’s gone.

~~

** _Meanwhile in Upstate New York_ **

Steve can hear a confident strut, and a steady heartbeat to match, make its way closer to the kitchen. He knows exactly who it is.

When his teammate rounds the corner, Clint is the first to speak. “Hey Nat.” He nods his head towards Natasha as she walks into the kitchen.

Natasha smirks back to her partner, “Hey Barton.”

Steve doesn’t lift his eyes from the paperwork in his hands, “Romanoff.”

Natasha reaches over Steve’s shoulder to grab an apple off the counter as Steve is continuing the read over some classified information.

As Natasha sits down next to him, Steve raises his eye at her, “No hello for me?”

Nat doesn’t miss a beat and teases, “I didn’t even get a smile. Tough shit.”

Clint starts to chuckle in the corner. “Can it Barton.” Steve reprimands him, with a sour tone.

Clint gives Natasha a look, and then signs, _Whats got his panties in a twist?_

Nat signs back, _You picked up on that too? I’ll do some digging. _Clint nods.

Nat looks over Steve’s shoulder, “Is that the briefing for Ukraine?”

Steve finally puts the paperwork down and turns his gaze to his teammate. “Yes.”

“The usual?” Clint chimes in.

Steve suddenly cringes and tenses in his seat at the instant overwhelming pain in both his biceps. He’s never felt this pain before, and he’s doing his best to conceal it. But failing impeccably.

He’s never felt both soul marks at the same time, and this puts him on high alert. _Something is wrong, definitely wrong._

He needs to think and clear his head.

Steve stands abruptly, making the chair screech on the floor before he starts speeding off. “I gotta go.”

Once Steve clears the room, Clint turns to Nat and looks intrigued yet annoyed. “Now I _really_ have to know what’s going on.”

** _An hour later_ **

Natasha finds Steve beating the utter daylights out of the poor punching bag. And it looks like he’s on number 8 by the looks of the other broken bags spilling sand in the corner of the gym.

She sneaks up to the beam behind Steve and just watches him for a few minutes. She takes in the way he punches, his angry grunts, his frustrated panting. He is relentless but tactical and purposeful. _Jab, jab, cross, hook, uppercut, hook, uppercut._

She hasn’t seen him release this type of energy before. This is_ personal._

As headstrong as Steve can be, she knows she needs to tread lightly. This seems like new territory for him. And for her.

“You need to work on your uppercut, it’s getting sloppy.”

At the sound of her voice, Steve punches the bag right off its chain. “Jesus Nat.”

“You must really be in that thick skull of yours if you didn’t hear me creep up.”

Steve puffs out an exasperated breath, “You could say that.”

Nat hands Steve a towel she picked up on the way in, “You wanna tell me what this is all about?”

Steve hugs the towel to his face and wipes the sweat off. “Not really.”

“You’re a terrible liar Rogers.”

Steve sighs. There’s no way out of this, he can’t hide anything from Natasha. “It’s my soul marks.”

Natasha straightens up at that. She didn’t expect him to concede so easily _and _also did not expect him to be vulnerable with her. On _this _subject. She plays it cool, “What about ‘em?”

“I-I’ve never felt both…activate before. At the same time. Pain was just…everywhere in my arms. It’s still there.”

“Well then that means we know Barnes is still alive.” Nat pauses. She knows he has two. Pretty sure she’s the only one who knows. She found out during a mission where Steve’s uniform ripped from a knife fight and a large gash resulted in it. She had to patch him up before they got back to the tower.

But Steve is secretly much more sensitive about his second soul mark, as he has no clue who this person could be. He still hasn’t met them. She knows he gets hung up about it daily. It’s written all over his face.

She softens her tone but speaks with determination, “And I’ll make sure you meet your pineapple. We _will_ find both of them. I promise.”

Steve scoffs at her, “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“_When _this happens, I’m telling you _I told you so._ AND you’re doing my laundry for a year.”

Steve smirks at his friend, “A year?”

Nat shrugs her shoulders, “I like how you fold clothes so nice and neatly. Gives it a _motherly_ touch.”

Steve laughs heartily, “Alright Romanoff, you got yourself a deal.”

~~

Yvonne lays in bed after another long day at the market and taking care of Emmie. Yvonne is beside herself. Emmie has been completely catatonic for the past 48 hours. Ever since _he _left.

Yvonne somewhat feels like she’s living in the Harry Potter universe because James has become _The One that Shall Not be Named._ Because every single time any of them have said James’ name, Emmie breaks into a sobbing mess and is inconsolable. Emmie wails at the slightest mention of her soulmate and she flinches as if she is in immense pain. Yvonne has a feeling that the pain she is experiencing is from her soul mark…she remembers when she felt that pain before meeting Marius. And most times Emmie has cried herself to sleep because she can’t get herself to calm down.

It breaks Yvonne’s heart to see her precious Emmie so broken like this. Her sweet girl is in so much pain and everything she tries to do to help Emmie backfires on her. Emmie just wants to be alone and hearing her softly crying at night is heart wrenching for Yvonne. All she wants to do is hold her sweetness and tell her she is going to be okay.

Yvonne quickly gets out of bed and walks to Emmie’s bedroom, where she sees Connor cuddled against Emmie, sound asleep. Sadly, Emmie is whimpering in a light sleep, she can see tears at the edge of her eye lashes waiting to escape.

But at least she let Connor in, and is letting him get close enough to lay beside her without pushing him away. She sighs in relief and is glad she flew him out to visit. Connor has always been a rock for her.

Yvonne makes her way to Emmie’s bedside to softly smooth her hair and kiss her on the forehead. Emmie sinks into her touch and her eyes start to flutter open. She sighs in relief, like she was grateful for being woken up, like she evaded a nightmare.

Emmie whispers, “Hi Auntie.”

“Hi my sweetness,” Yvonne smooths her hair again. “Were you having a nightmare?”

Emmie closes her eyes and pulls away from Auntie slightly. “Yeah…”

Yvonne nods her head in understanding, “Hmmm…well you know what has helped me with nightmares?”

Emmie pipes up at this, “Please tell me it’s your hot chocolate? With whipped cream?”

Yvonne smirks, she knows her niece and that sweet tooth so well. She nods her head towards the bedroom door, “Come on, let me make you some.”

~~

Yvonne walks over to Emmie with a steaming mug of hot coco with the whipped cream piled high. Emmie is seated comfortably on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her. She takes the mug graciously with a soft smile.

Yvonne sits on one end of the couch, “Lay down sweet girl, lay your head on my lap.”

Emmie moves without protest and snuggles into Yvonne. Yvonne starts to run her fingers through Emmie’s hair nice and slow, scratching her nails against her scalp and massaging the stress away from her mind.

Emmie sighs as she lets out a deep exhale. She says quietly, “You knew, didn’t you?”

_Of course she figured it out._ As hard as it can be sometimes, honesty is key right now for her niece. “Yes, my sweet girl. Was I that obvious?”

Yvonne can see Emmie’s lower lip tremble. She pauses before she speaks again, “Not as much as Connor. He’s only waiting on me hand and foot when he feels guilty or made a mistake. He hasn’t left my side since…since… but why didn’t you tell me?”

Yvonne continues to stroke her hands through her hair, “Because baby, that is not something for me to tell you. Something as monumental as finding your soulmate needs to come from the source.” Yvonne lets out a low chuckle, “Plus, if I had told you, you wouldn’t have believed me.”

Emmie joins in on the low laughter, “Yeah…I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s like you know me better than I know myself. How are you always right?”

“Sweetness, it’s not that I’m right, I’ve just lived longer and had more life experiences. I've learned a lot about people.”

Emmie brings her hands to cover her face and angrily moans into them. “Why can’t I do anything right?”

“No no no, don’t think that sweetness, don’t you ever think that. You’ve been through enough, it’s of course going to make you guarded. You just got scared. But sweet girl, that man,” Yvonne pauses because she can feel even herself start to get choked up. “That man adores you. Absolutely _adores _you and he would do anything for you. Sometimes I wish you could see the way he looks at you and how he dotes on you.”

Emmie’s emotions are bubbling up and she can feel tears start to well up again. “I’ve never had anyone treat me the way he does. It scared the shit outta me Auntie. I just couldn’t believe it was real, that _he_ is my soulmate. How could I have been paired with someone as amazing as him? As _gorgeous_ as him. I don’t deserve him.”

“That’s because that’s what love feels like. That’s how being with your soulmate is supposed to feel. Its all-consuming, overwhelming, irrevocable, and…everlasting.”

“But-but—”

“No buts. I know exactly what you’re thinking. Love is so much more than looks. You only think love is based on that because of the way you were raised. But it is all encompassing with everything else.” Yvonne smirks down at Emmie, “Buuuttt to help calm your insecurities, you should know he is always checking you out though.”

“Wait…really?” Emmie asks shyly.

“Hahaha oh yes he is. That man could not get enough of you.”

Emmie feels her tears finally spill over and springs up into a seated position, “Auntie, what have I done? I’ve driven him away! I’ve lost him!”

“Yvonne holds her hands tightly against Emmie’s cheeks, “No, no you haven’t. There’s no way you could ever lose him. He’s been coming by the stand the past 2 days asking about you.” She’ll leave out the part where he is ridden with guilt, because that will only make things worse for Emmie.

Emmie starts to panic, “Fuck, I have to find him! I have to apologize and beg for forgiveness and do anything to get him back. He makes me so happy, I don’t want to live life without him anymore. I-I…”

“I know sweet girl, I know. Why don’t you come to the market with me tomorrow? That way you can talk to him when he stops by.”

Emmie knows that would be a shitshow, she doesn’t want to break down in front of all those people. And she can’t wait that long to find him. She needs him _now._ But Yvonne won’t let her leave now, it’s 2am. She’ll think of something else…

Emmie puts on a brave façade, “Yeah, yeah that works Auntie. I’ll do that.”

~~

Yvonne starts to slowly wake as the sun starts to peak its way through the blinds. As tired as she is, physically and emotionally, she feels a sense of relief that Emmie isn’t a weeping mess in her bed and that her words got through to her niece last night.

She wipes her eyes as she wakes up and then goes to pat where Emmie was laying beside her last night. But she doesn’t feel her body…she feels pillows and the blanket. And it's cold. _Weird._

She opens her eyes fully and scans the couch. Yvonne calls out quietly, “Emmie? Where are you sweet girl?”

No response. _What’s going on? It’s not even 6am…_

Yvonne walks to the bathroom to see if she’s in there. She knocks lightly, “Sweetness, you in there?”

Again. No response.

She opens the door and the bathroom is empty. _Maybe she went back to bed?_

She checks Emmie’s bedroom but only finds Connor sleeping soundly. _Shit._

Yvonne wrings her hands and starts to pace in the living room. Emmie isn’t here and she doesn’t know where she is and she is freaking out.

Marius draws her out of her head, “My love—”

Yvonne quickly turns to Marius, “She’s gone, she’s gone, I don’t know where she went and I don’t know what to do. How the hell did I not hear her leave in the middle of the night?!”

Marius approaches her and kisses her forehead. He looks her deep in her eyes, “We will find her. Maybe she just needed some space, but we will find her.”

All she can do is nod as tears leak from her eyes.

~~

James has been wallowing for the past 3 days. He couldn't face Yvonne, Marius, or Connor again so he looked on at the farmers market from afar. He was hoping to see his girl but no such luck.

He’s been spending a lot of his time wondering what went wrong and wracking his brain on what he did wrong. Why she rejected him. Why she reacted so adversely to him. Why she told him to leave. He’s tried to see it from her perspective but he can’t seem to see why she would push him away.

He will never admit it but when he got back home that night, he cried. He cried for his soulmates, for lost love. He wants to give up. None of this is making sense to him.

He is hiding from one and trying to connect with the other, and look where that got him. He’s angry, he’s frustrated, he’s disappointed, but also heart broken.

That was the first time he’s cried since…since before Hydra. Since before the war even. He’s always been steadfast with his emotions, but his girl just broke all his walls down.

When he’s with Emmie, every just melts away. All the pain he feels constantly just doesn’t matter anymore. She has this ability to make him feel like he matters in this world and that he can still do good. Even if the only good he can do is treat Emmie right. He’s found his purpose with her, but she doesn’t even want him back.

After all this pondering and over analyzing, he’s decided he can’t be in Bucharest anymore. As long as he’s in Bucharest, he’ll think of his girl and want to be around her. Already too many memories of her looming around and it makes it that much harder for him to stick around. Because she made it pretty clear she didn’t want him. Deep down, he isn’t surprised. He got his hopes up with her and that’s his own fault. He doesn’t deserve to be with his soulmate. He deserves pain and suffering the rest of his life.

But James has the decency to stop by Yvonne’s farm stand before to bid his farewells. Yvonne and Marius have been beyond generous to him and have accepted him since they met over a year ago. He owes them a goodbye.

When he gets to the farm stand, Yvonne is in the back, next to the truck, crying softly, with Marius comforting her. Marius notices James’ presence and taps Yvonne on the shoulder and points to him.

Yvonne then rips herself away from Marius and runs towards James with tears spilling from her eyes.

James is immediately on alert. Yvonne is _never_ this emotional.

“What’s wrong Yvonne?”

“It’s Emmie…she’s-she’s-she’s…” Another set of tears starts falling down her cheeks.

Marius steps up to speak for his wife, “We don’t know where she is. And her phone is dead.”

As upset as James is, he stands taller, more rigid. _How could she be missing? What’s happened in the last 72 hours? _

He has to find her. No matter what has happened between them so far. She’s his _soulmate_. He has to _protect_ her.

He goes into mission mode, “How long?”

“A little more than 24 hours,” Marius responds.

“I’ll help you find her, but that’s it.”

“God you’re a fucking idiot just like Emmie!” Yvonne yells at James.

“Excuse me?” James had never been cussed at like that before.

“She reacted the way she did because she was terrified! She feels like you’re too good to be true. She wanted to find you a day ago and apologize.”

“…What?...No…She—”

“Son, I know my niece. She wants you and has been wanting you more than anything in this world. Her whole life.” Marius says with conviction.

As confused as James is, he finds his strength. “Then let’s find our girl.”

~~

Yvonne immediately closed down the farm stand for the time being. She grabbed Connor and the four of them started asking around the farmers market if they had seen Emmie. And no one knew. No one has seen her.

With each passing hour, panic became more evident with Emmie’s family. Connor kept blaming himself, Yvonne kept thinking of the worst what-ifs possible, and Marius was pissed at anything that crossed his path.

James knew that if he were to ever find Emmie, he needed to keep his emotions at bay. He needed to focus on Emmie, on tracking her, and getting to her as soon as possible. He can’t think of the worst-case scenarios, it distracts him from doing his job. From keeping her safe.

After the farmers market, they all split up. James went to all the places he took Emmie on dates, outside of the apartment. She wasn’t at any. Marius didn’t find her at his school, Yvonne couldn’t find her at any of their favorite restaurants or shops, and Connor couldn’t find her at any of the parks around the apartment.

James’ focus begins to wane. He can’t stop thinking about how he has been so _careless_ with Emmie in public. He hasn’t been taking as many precautions with her as he should be. He _knows_ Hydra is out there, looking for him. He has been leaving too many breadcrumbs for them to pick up. But only breadcrumbs since _she_ came into the picture.

She distracts him way too much, but for once, he has never complained about that distraction, because she is more than anything he ever dreamed of.

He’s scared out of his mind that Hydra has gotten to his girl. He will never forgive himself if Hydra has gotten his hands on her. That’s the one thing he can’t ever have happen to her. _Especially her._

But if that’s the case, _nothing_ will stop him from getting her back. He’d even channel the Soldier if he has to…anything for his soulmate. _Anything._

When James regroups with the others, Marius has to take Yvonne and Connor home because they are both a wreck. Yvonne can’t stop crying and Connor is a nonstop babbling mess.

They are going to regroup in the morning to continue searching so James heads back to his apartment to clear his head. He hasn’t been thinking straight all day. He can’t let go of the regret, of the anger, frustration, and heartbreak.

All he wants is one more moment to take her in. To admire her beauty, to stare into her captivating hazel eyes, to hold her head and kiss her senseless, to grab her hips and hold her close.

As he climbs the fire escape up to his apartment, he feels more glum than before. But as he crosses the threshold into his apartment, he feels this weird but faint pulse on the pineapple. A feeling he hasn’t experienced before.

He makes his steps more stealthy and slows his breathing to take in his environment. He knows there’s nothing or no one in his tiny apartment. He walks out into the hallway and still nothing.

He descends the stairs, staying in the shadows, and as he continues to do so, the faint pulse begins to grow stronger. And that’s when he _feels her._

Her barely-there heartbeat, her scent, her day-old clothes.

James picks up his pace and rushes down the next floor faster than usual. But that’s not fast _enough_ for him. The stairs are configured in a spiral so he jumps down the last 5 floors through the middle open space and lands in the lobby.

What he finds when he stands rips his heart out of his chest.

He finds his soulmate, his girl, his _Emmie_, lying on the lobby floor, rocking back and forth in a fetal position, barely mumbling something that he can’t piece together.

“Amelia!” James rushes to her side.

He quickly but gently pulls Emmie into his lap and into his arms. He puts his metal arm around her body and tucks her close to his heart while he starts to stroke her face with his flesh hand.

She’s completely in a daze and can’t seem to realize he is there, holding her. Her body is limp in his arms. And cold. _No no no._

“Amelia, babygirl, I’m here. Come back to me.” James talks to her soothingly. He has to be so gentle with her, he doesn’t know what’s happened to her.

He runs his thumb along her cheekbone and that seems to bring her out of her daze barely.

Emmie whispers out in a chant, “I’m too late. I’ve lost him forever…..I’m too late. I’ve lost him forever……I’m too late. I’ve lost him forever.”

James can feel the wetness building behind his eyes, “No, no Amelia, you’re not too late. You haven’t lost me.”

Emmie’s eyes are still closed as she begins her chant again. “I’m too late. I’ve lost him forever….I’m too late. I’ve lost him forever….I’m too—”

James feels like he’s losing her, she isn’t comprehending anything that’s going on. All he feels like he can do right now is hold her while he rocks her softly in his arms as he cradles the only good thing that has come into his life since he can remember.

“My sweet girl, my Amelia, it’s James. You’re…you’re soulmate.” He chokes out the words as if they were foreign to him. As if they might burn a hole into his girl.

“I’m here babydoll, I’m here. I’m holding you tight and I ain’t letting you go. I ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

James pets her hair and kisses her forehead. He holds the kiss long, as if he could transfer life saving powers into her through that kiss.

She seems to stir at this feeling. One eye cracks open and he can see confusion and disorientation register in Emmie’s eyes.

Emmie croaks out, “J-Ja-James?”

James thanks whoever was watching over her for keeping her alive.

“Hey my beautiful doll. I’m here. I’m here with you.”

Both her eyes open and she recognizes who she’s with. She feels a tear escape out of the corner of her eye as she looks up into those scared blue eyes of his.

“Jamessss—”

“Sh, sh, shh, I gotchu, baby, I gotchu.”

And then Emmie drifts off to sleep hearing the last of his promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, please let me know what you thought of this chapter! :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers! Hope you're all well and safe. Here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Not as long as the others but hope it gives more context. I want to thank you for all the comments, they gave me life. It means so much to have readers who are enjoying the story.
> 
> Happy reading! <3

Emmie feels stiff. Stiff _everywhere_.

Her whole body is rigid but everything that she feels against her body is soft, fuzzy, and comforting. She feels like she’s wrapped up in a fleece blanket, and the pillows under her head feel familiar. And she recognizes the aroma in the room. Lavender and vanilla, just like her room.

_Wait…where is she?_

Emmie groans as she tries to get a better grasp of her surroundings, but it isn’t more than a whimper. She slowly attempts to move her toes first. The wiggling sensation helps get some feeling in her legs. Emmie shakes her fingers and tries to roll to her side, as she’s laying on her back, but she can’t. She feels too heavy and that amount of moving hurts too much.

And from what she can remember, _wasn’t she last with James?_

Emmie must know where he is. She can’t lose him.

She tries to speak but she ends up coughing first. Her throat hurts and it feels dry, like wax paper. She hums and licks her lips and tries calling out for her soulmate.

“Ja-James?” Emmie winces at the sound of her voice and at how loud she’s speaking, it feels like her voice is reverberating in her head.

Emmie doesn’t know that she’s barely breathing out her words. Luckily, Yvonne was walking in to check on her niece when she saw Emmie move in her bed and attempt to speak.

Yvonne rushes over and kneels on the ground right next to her bed. She starts to pat Emmie’s hair down when she starts to whimper again.

“Sh-sh-shhhh, Emmie, sweet girl, you’re alright, you’re home—”

“James…where is…James?” Emmie croaks out.

As if on cue, James runs to Emmie’s side and sits on the edge of the bed so he’s as close to her as he can be without hurting her.

Yvonne knows when she’s being replaced, she rubs Emmie’s arm, “Sweetness, I’ll be in the hall if you need me.” Emmie hums in acknowledgment and Yvonne walks away with relief, that she has her niece back.

James gently grabs her hand with his flesh one and starts to rub circles on the back of her hand.

Emmie knows that hand. She knows he’s there with her. She finally starts to flutter her eyes open. One at a time.

When she adjusts her eyes to the dim lighting, she quickly searches for the only person on her mind.

James can see the foggy daze on her face and helps her out. He squeezes her hand softly and directs her with his voice, “Over here dollface.”

Emmie slowly turns her head to the other side and finds her soulmate smirking gently at her and then offers up a wink. _God he’s such a hunk._

She can’t help but weakly smile up at his perfect face, with those eyes that make her swoon so much.

She can feel too many things right now, so all she can do is blush up at him. _Her soulmate. _And he _came back_ after she pushed him away.

“There’s my girl.” James leans down onto his metal forearm and moves his flesh hand up to her face, smoothing his thumb over her cheek.

“But don’t you _dare_ ever scare me like that again babydoll.” He kisses her nose and then rests his forehead on hers. He whispers softly to her, “You had me worried sick.”

Emmie whimpers at his softness. He’s showing her so much grace, already forgiving her for something he doesn’t have to forgive. The kindness in his voice, in his touch, in his eyes…she doesn’t know how to handle besides letting tears fall out of the corner of her eyes.

She looks up at him with desperation. Her voice cracks as more tears flow and she begins panting, “I’m so sorry James…I-I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything. I’m sorry James, please forgive me, pl—”

James rushes to place both his hands against her face, trying to ground her, “Hey hey hey, come back to me Amelia, breathe for me baby.” James places her hand against his chest, right over his heart, and he steadies out his breathing. “Breathe with me baby.”

Emmie nods and starts to match her breathing with his. Her breathing trembles with each exhale so she raises her hand to grab his wrist to help her keep in the present. But when she looks at her hand holding his wrist, she instantly quickens her breath and starts to freak out.

“James…why is there an IV in my hand?! WHY IS THERE AN IV?!”

“Amelia, babydoll, stay with me here. Take a slow breath in, and then let it out for me.” Emmie does as she’s told. “There you go doll, good girl. Now another breath.”

Emmie sighs, she grips his wrist harder. She looks into those blue eyes of his and sees how scared and concerned he is.

“James…what happened to m-me?”

“Em—”

“Please.” She begs.

James resigns in defeat. He wants to hold her while he says this so he pulls her into his lap but she flinches first at his advances and then winces and groans at the movement. “Sorry doll,” he kisses her forehead and smooths her hair out. He tilts her chin up so he can look into his favorite pair of hazel eyes.

“Do you remember much doll?” Emmie nods her head as he starts to run his fingers through her hair. Emmie relaxes further into James, and he takes that as permission to hold her tight to his chest. “You passed out right after I got to you. You-you…God Emmie your body was so limp and cold and-and you weren’t responding to me at all—”

“Hey handsome,” Emmie interrupts, “I’m here because you found me. Okay?” She tries to reassure him.

James nods and Emmie can see he has more to say. She encourages him by kissing his shoulder.

“Your family has been so worried Emmie, so I brought you home. And I got an IV in you, after I learned you didn’t eat or drink after I left that night. And you’ve been out for 16 hours babygirl.”

Emmie grabs onto his shirt, “…16 hours?”

“Your body needed the rest.”

“Hmph…apparently…”

“I’m just glad I got to you when I did.”

“I wish I had found you sooner.” Emmie whispers and latches on to his arms with a vice grip. After the last 48 hours she’s had, she just needs to be as physically close to her soulmate as possible. She needs to feel him and know he’s there. She needs to know she got him back. She needs comforting.

“Amelia…” James pauses as he tries to control the anger in his voice. “What happened?”

She doesn't want to answer so she changes her tactic. “Wait, you know how to insert an IV? And you had that equipment at the ready?”

“Answer me Amelia.”

Emmie curls into his chest, like she is trying to protect herself from him. “You’ll get mad at me if I do.”

James feels like he’s been kicked in the gut. He loosens his grip on her and pulls her face out of his chest so he can look at his doll. “Dollface…when are you gonna learn that I’m never gonna get mad at you?”

“Well you might—”

“No Emmie, I’m just…so worried. I found my…my…and I can’t let _anything_ happen to you. I gotta protect you.” He holds the back of her head like he would a newborn child, with the softest and most caring hands possible. “Did someone hurt you?”

“…How-how did you know?”

“Just from…observations. And when Yvonne changed your clothes while you were out, she noticed all the scrapes and bruises everywhere.”

Emmie can feel another wave of tears coming, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to happen, I tried to get out, I swear—”

“Babydoll, no way in _hell_ this is your fault. You did _nothing_ wrong. Now…who was it, baby?”

~~

48 hours ago…

_After Emmie sneaked out after Yvonne fell asleep on the couch, she had to clear her head. She had to find her soulmate, if he would ever forgive her. Whatever it took._

_But she didn’t know where to start. She doesn’t have his number and she doesn’t know where he lives. All she can do is retrace her steps, and go to places she’s been with him. He brought her to those places for a reason. _

_But it doesn’t help that she looks like a mess, with her raggedy clothes, her hair all astray, and her makeup smudged from the tears spilt last night. And honestly, she doesn’t care. As long as she finds him, she doesn’t care._

_After running around town for more than half the day without any trace of him, she returns back to where she initially met him._

_She waits until Auntie and Marius have closed up for the day, not wanting to run into them. She knows Auntie is going to give her a mouthful when she gets back. But she can’t think about that now._

_Emmie goes stand to stand, butchering Romanian, in hopes anyone has seen James. She knows he’s a regular almost daily so people have seen his face around._

_With each passing stand that hasn’t seen James or can’t understand her broken Romanian, she loses hope. Emmie can’t lose him. She will never forgive herself, she was so caught up in her own feelings that she can’t get over how much she must have hurt him when she pushed him away._

_The last stand for the day was her favorite, besides Auntie’s of course. _

_The sweetest old couple ran the plum stand at the edge of the market. They had the best fruit by far and Emmie loved their plums. She would always stop and say hi at the end of each day and they always offered up a sweet smile and a hello. And luckily, they were always patient with her Romanian._

_Emmie approaches them with a sweet wave. “How are the plums today?”_

_The old lady replies, “Yes honey, perfectly ripe today.”_

_“I want 2 then.” Emmie reaches into a basket to grab a couple of plums._

_Emmie didn’t know how to say this next part in Romanian so she did the best she could, “My friend, James”…she switched to English in hopes they might know a few words_.

_“Have you seen him?” She puts her hand horizontally over her eyebrows to demonstrate like she is looking for something. “Long hair,” she runs her hands through her long hair and stopping at her shoulders, showing it was long and flowy. “Blue eyes,” she pointed at the sky and then at her eyes. “About ‘this’ tall?” She raises her hand as high as it can go to show his tall stature._

_The old lady looked confused and shook her head left to right, she replied in Romanian, “No English.”_

_But her husband stepped up behind her with a smile and spoke up in broken English, “Ah James, loyal customer.” He paused trying to formulate his next sentence. He put up 3 fingers, “3 apartments,” then pointed to the right, and then lowered 1 finger to show 2, “2 apartments,” and then pointed behind Emmie._

_Emmie could figure it out, she got the gist of it. She responded with a grateful smile and put her hands in pray, bowing her head several times, “Thank you thank you!”_

_During her conversation, she didn’t realize her sleeves fell down and her soul marks were exposed. She also didn’t see the 3 guys at the adjacent newspaper stand staring her down like she was the spawn of satin. _

_Emmie rushes off in the directions she was given. But in her haste, she doesn’t realize that those guys started to follow her. _

_After the first 3 blocks, she gets this uncertain feeling in her gut, that something just feels off. She checks her surroundings and over her shoulder, noticing 3 guys about 20 feet behind, simultaneously smirk at her._

_She feels her heartbeat in her throat, her eyes widen, and she can feel a few beads of sweat start to form on her forehead. She’s scared. And she doesn’t know exactly where to go or what to do._

_While she’s thinking of her plan, the men have gained distance on her and shove her into an alley, littered with trash cans and smelling of rats. _

_One drags her up against a brick wall and pins her shoulders hard against the surface, high enough where her feet are dangling and off the ground. The other 2 hold her arms out straight to the side, putting her body in a T shape. The men holding her arms yank her sleeves up and slam her wrists hard against the brick._

_She’s surprised when the one in front of her speaks up in English, “Nice tattoos…or are they soul marks?”_

_Emmie freezes, she doesn’t know what to do. Her eyes are scanning as much as she can in a panic, but her silence wasn’t a good choice. The man slams her head against the brick wall and it leaves her seeing some spots in her vision._

_“Answer me bitch!” He spits in her face._

_Emmie shrinks as much into the wall as she can and says the first thing that comes to mind, “T-ta-tattoos.”_

_“Wrong again!” He punches her in the gut. “You’re a freak! A fat, ugly bitch like you doesn’t deserve 2 soulmates!” Another punch to the gut._

_“Please, please stop—” Emmie cries out in pain, as she takes each hit._

_“SHUT UP! No one said you could speak.” A hit to her ribs._

_Emmie is having trouble breathing now, the air knocked out of her. _

_“Don’t show your face around here again, you hear me?!”_

_She doesn’t have time to inhale, as she feels her core give out as he punches her again and again like her body is a punching bag. At her sides, her stomach, and lastly at her solar plexus. When he hits his last punch on her, her head slams back against the wall again and now she’s seeing double of everything._

_They let go and she drops harshly onto the unforgiving concrete below her. That last impact on her body and head, causes her to lose consciousness. But before her eyes close, she hears, “Enjoy hell, bitch,” as they walk off laughing like nothing happened._

~~

“And-and-and then I woke up later laying in the alley, and-and it was pouring and then I eventually got myself up and just walked into the nearest apartment building I could. Some nice lady let me in, I-I must have looked real bad. Then I-I just lost it in the lobby and then you found me…”

Emmie huffs out a shaky breath as she sobs into James’ chest, “Not sure how long I was there for.”

James is livid. No, _furious_. He wants to rip the heads off all 3 of those guys, and he wouldn’t ever regret it. _No one_ touches his girl, his soulmate, like that. Ever. She’s his, and he ain’t gonna let this slide.

“I’m so sorry James, I didn’t know what to do, I tried I really did, I’m so—”

James holds her chin to redirect her gaze up to him. His hold is as gentle as can be but his eyes are fierce as they hold her in her spot.

“Don’t you dare apologize. No more apologizing. They crossed a line, touched my _soulmate_. They ain’t gonna get away with it.”

Emmie’s eyes go wide when he says soulmate. Him saying it out loud, to her face, is making everything too real. Her eyes get glassy at the thought of it.

“Ok handsome, I’m s—” She stops herself before she says it again. “I’ll work on it. Promise.”

James kisses her cheek and then her forehead, “That’s my doll. And I’m gonna take care of them alright? They won’t mess with you ever again.”

Emmie can see James isn’t joking. He’s completely serious. She nods quickly and reaches up to hold his cheek, “I appreciate how you want to defend my honor but just…just don’t kill ‘em alright?”

James freezes. He wants to kill them but he’s gonna respect his girl’s wishes. He says under his breath with a light smile, “No promises.”

She pinches his cheek, “You cheeky man.” She scrunches her nose and gives him a silly smile.

_Finally_ she’s smiling again. He missed that smile of hers.

Emmie needed to get something off her chest because it was killing her. And he had to know.

“James?”

“Yes babydoll?” He strokes his fingers through her hair.

Emmie drops her gaze, she was too nervous and scared to look into his eyes with what she had to say. “You…you know I didn’t mean anything the other night, right? I-I was just so scared you were lying to me. That what we have isn’t real.” Emmie closes her eyes and feels tears weigh down her lashes. She croaks out, “D-do you forgive me? I need you to forgive me. I ca-can’t have my s-soulmate hate me.”

James holds her tighter to his chest as he kisses her forehead. His heart aches for her. That’s the last thing he ever wants her to feel.

James leans down to whisper in her ear, “I forgive you Amelia. Always will.” He kisses her temple. “This is real doll. And I could never hate my sweet girl.” He kisses her sweetly on her lips. “_Never_.”

The tears spill over at his words. Emmie crumples in his arms and grasps onto him for dear life.

Emmie feels James hold her closer to his chest. She can feel the wet spot under her cheek, and she knows its from her tears. She feels bad but reconciling with James feels better.

“Doll, I’m gonna let you rest. It’s been a rough few days.”

James goes to start moving out of bed but Emmie pulls him back, “No! You can’t leave! You can’t leave me.” She pauses. “Please don’t go.”

James crawls back into his spot on her bed and curls Emmie into his chest. Emmie wraps her leg in between his and flops her arm across his body. She can’t have any separation from her soulmate. She can’t lose him.

“I won’t leave. I gotchu baby, I gotchu.” He runs his fingers through her hair until he hears her breathing even out and she’s fast asleep.

~~

James is able to wiggle himself out from under Emmie, as she continues to sleep. When he slowly closes her bedroom door behind him, he’s met with Connor and concerned look.

He can see the exhaustion all over Connor’s face. He knows the past 5 days have been hell on Emmie’s family. James hopes it doesn’t make them hate him more.

Connor crosses his arms and leans against the wall, “You truly are her soulmate, you know. I’ve never seen anyone be so good to her. I haven’t known you very long but I already know you’re perfect for her.”

James is stunned. He doesn’t know what to think because he expected them to lash out at him. All he can do is nod at Connor.

“But I’m going to warn you, because you’re apart of the family now and I won’t be here forever to look after you 2 rascals…but she’s going to be clingy. And I mean stage 5 clingy, where you can’t go anywhere without her following you like a lost puppy.” Connor pauses to run a hand over his face.

“She’s going to be ridden with guilt and think your forgiveness is just because you’re her soulmate and you _have_ to forgive her. All I ask is you please be patient. She just wants to make up for what pain she caused you.”

“Thank you, Connor.”

“Just please take care of her, yeah? She needs you more than she lets on.”

“Always.”

~~

James quickly realized that Connor wasn’t kidding when he said Emmie would be clingy.

It’s been about a week since the pair were reunited and Emmie’s clinginess is slightly worrying James. She freaks out anytime he leaves a room and asks where he’s going.

One time she even followed him to the bathroom and just waited outside because she was afraid he’d leave her and escape out the window.

Emmie has to constantly know where James is, or she has to have some form of physical contact with him. Whether it’s holding hands, his hand on her thigh, his hand on her back, or her cuddled into his embrace.

If James is being honest with himself, he actually really likes having her so physically close. It’s grounding for him. But he hates how she panics if they are going to be separated, even if it’s only for a minute.

On the first day back at the farm stand for the 2 lovebirds, James stepped back to the truck to unload some produce boxes and bring them to the front. He didn’t say anything to Emmie and after she finished helping a customer, she turned around and couldn’t find James. She quickly started calling out his name, making a scene at the stand, and was wringing her hands through her hair as she panicked over where he was. James rushed to hold Emmie and reassure her he didn’t leave. He had to bring her back to the truck where she sobbed for the next 20 minutes because she thought she lost him forever.

It’s gotten to the point where Emmie can’t fall asleep without James laying next to her. He slips out in the middle of the night, for reasons he’s too scared to share with her. He then has to sneak back in during the early morning hours so she wakes up to him. The first time she didn’t wake up with him, she was screaming hysterically until he arrived. It took him an hour to calm her down.

Even though James finds Emmie’s need to be close endearing, the more they are seen in public together, the more he worries the wrong people are going to find out about her. And that’s the last thing he would ever want to happen.

He can’t have Hydra get their hands on his girl, after he just found her. He needs to preserve the good that he somehow has found. He doesn’t feel like he deserves it but he sure as hell is going to protect her, if it’s the last thing he does. Even if Emmie won’t agree with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think?! Hope you liked it :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Upstate New York**

Steve sits on the wooden bench that faces the lake and takes in the tranquil outdoors. He just finished his morning run and he starts his day like usual, enjoying the sunrise from his favorite place on the compound. 

The crisp, fresh morning air allows him to clear his mind for the day ahead. Today there was no wind, so the water was as flat and smooth as glass. These moments before the day started were his favorite because it was quiet and he could find a few peaceful minutes to himself.

There weren’t any clouds this morning so as the sun rose above the horizon, pinks, oranges, and yellows illuminated the sky. These were also the moments where he gave into thinking about his soulmates completely. With each new morning brought a renewed hope that the day could be _the day_ that he found Bucky and met his third.

But alas, his day dreaming was cut short. He senses his teammate behind a tree 20 feet behind him.

Without turning around, Steve speaks up, “Does this have to happen _right now?_”

Nat responds promptly as she steps forward, “Yup.”

She emerges from the wooded forest. She makes her way down the path to Steve and sits next to him on the bench. She leans forward and folds her fingers over the edge of the bench next to her thighs.

Nat takes a breath as she turns her gaze towards the sunrise over the lake, “You know Rogers, you’re making it too easy on me. Getting too predictable.”

Steve can hear the smirk in her voice, but he responds with a steady tone. He doesn’t appreciate his morning routine being interrupted and Nat knows this. Must be important enough.

“I need my routine.” He responds dryly and he keeps his breathing calm. He doesn’t want to get worked up this early in the morning.

Nat bends forward and places her forearms on her thighs and clasps her hands. “Barnes or pineapple today?”

Steve resigns and slumps his shoulders forward and sighs. “…Pineapple.”

Nat takes a chance with her next question. Maybe he can fill in some blanks for her. She softens her tone, “What do you think about when you think of pineapple?”

Steve huffs out a breath and straightens up on the bench and finally looks over at her, “Come on Romanoff, you know better than that.”

She shrugs her shoulders, “I tried. And I’ll try again.”

He doesn’t give her a moment to pry again, “Any updates?” He asks hopefully.

Nat pauses, but pauses too long. Steve knows that today isn’t the day. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. is running every possible algorithm and triple checking everything. We’ll get a hit eventually.”

Steve drops his head. Disappointed of course but not surprised. That had been her answer every time she checked in with him.

Steve purses his lips. “I _need_ to find them.”

Nat knows he’s getting desperate; he’s been longing for his soulmates more than usual over the past years. She knows he feels so lost deep down.

“Don’t lose hope just yet Steve. I made you a promise _and_ I’ve got a bet to win.” Nat bumps her shoulder against his and she finally gets him to crack a small smile.

Steve smirks back at her, “I don’t do well with empty promises Nat.”

Nat nods at him with a playful glare. She scoffs, "I'm well aware." She’s going to press him some more. “Do you think pineapple is a woman?”

Steve coughs on his next inhale, caught off guard by her question. “I try not to have expectations…but I hope she’s a beautiful dame.”

Nat keeps on teasing him, “Well whoever pineapple is, your third has a handful with you 2 rowdy soldiers.”

“Yeah yeah, don’t remind me Romanoff.”

Natasha can sense how quickly Steve has become withdrawn and downtrodden about not being with his soulmates. Whenever Barnes is directly or indirectly brought up in conversation, he becomes more reserved and more guarded. She changes her tactic. “I’m sure whoever _she _is, she'll be one hell of a woman.”

Steve’s heart warms at her words. He elbows her arm, “You gettin’ soft on me Nat?”

“Only when you need it Cap.”

Steve blushes and looks down at his feet with a soft smile. But if he keeps talking about _them_, he’s going to crumble. And he can’t have that, not when people are relying on him.

Nat beats him to the punch, with something he was _not_ expecting, “You ever consider going out with Sharon?”

Steve looks at her like she has 3 heads, his eyes wide in shock. He responds, aggravation clear in his voice. “You were just talking about pineapple, how could you say that?!”

“She could be a good _distraction_ for you Rogers. Just saying.” She shrugs.

Steve runs his hands through his hair. He mumbles, “I-I just don’t think I could—”

“Yes, you could. You’re not betraying anyone. You have to take care of yourself. You're too pent up.”

Steve groans and drops his head. She _might_ have a point…but he can’t think about her right now. There are more important things at hand. And he’s done with this conversation.

“Since you interrupted my morning, let’s get back on schedule and go kick Barton’s ass in the ring.”

Nat knows she can’t push him further; she can take a hint. She smiles smugly, “Thought you’d never ask.”

~~

**Bucharest **

“Alright, settle down settle down kids!” Marius speaks to the unruly school children in Romanian.

Emmie had given up trying to learn all the Romanian slang that the kids used so Marius always stayed after to help translate where she struggled. Emmie moves to sit on top of the teacher’s desk at the front of the room and holds up 2 movies.

Marius speaks again, “Drum roll please.” The kids start tapping their desks to imitate a drum roll. “Will it be the new generation Star Trek or Star Wars: The Force Awakens?”

The kids start screaming all at once which movie they wanted, so Marius made it easy when he asked the kids to cheer for the movie they wanted when Emmie raised that specific movie.

Surprisingly, Star Trek won. “Traitors,” Emmie whispers under her breath.

Marius starts the movie and turns out the room lights while Emmie shuts the blinds. It was pouring outside, and Emmie thought it best to have a movie day inside; the kids seemed to agree too.

After the kids settled in to quietly watch the movie, Marius turns to Emmie and speaks in English, “You gonna be okay with these kiddos Em? They’re a little crazy today.” He huffs out a laugh.

“Nothing I can’t handle Marius.” Emmie smirks back.

“Good. I’ll be in the room across the hall grading homework if you need anything.” The door then silently opens and in walks Emmie’s favorite person. “On second thought, you’ll be just fine.”

Marius walks out with a smug smile and pats James’ shoulder, “Can you hold down the fort for her?”

James nods, “Yes sir.” He sees Emmie whispering softly to a girl and she giggles at something Emmie says, then goes to hug Emmie quickly, throwing her arms around Emmie’s neck.

He smiles proudly at Emmie. “But I think she’s got it handled.”

The past week James has been walking, more like escorting, Emmie everywhere. To her after-school program, the farm stand, home. Just as another safety precaution. He’s become too paranoid about her after the mugging. But he won’t admit that he’s happy he’s able to spend more time with her and appreciate her…assets.

James walks towards the back of the room and pulls up an extra chair. He learned earlier in the week that he doesn’t fit in the desks. Emmie couldn’t control her laughter when he stood up from the desk and the desk was glued to his torso, hanging from his waist in mid-air.

He purposely makes the chair scratch on the floor, so Emmie knows he’s there. When she looks up from her hug, she graces him with a wide, beautiful smile. She doesn’t break eye contact as she skips her way closer. Without hesitating, she plops herself into his thick lap and pulls his head to her neck as she hugs him as tightly as possible.

“I missed you, my handsome hunk.” She kisses his head.

James runs his hands up and down her spine, rubbing her back softly. He chuckles softly, “You saw me 15 minutes ago doll—”

“Still missed you,” she kisses his temple.

She runs her hands through his chestnut locks. She whispers timidly into his ear, “You…you check for all the bad guys?”

James turns so he can look her in the eyes, “All clear babygirl.” He puts both his hands on her cheeks and kisses her forehead. She hums and relaxes under his soft, comforting touch. He wraps his arms around her and holds her against his chest.

He whispers into her head as he strokes her soft hair, “We’re safe doll, promise.”

“Thank you for keeping us safe.”

_Us._ She said us. Like they are together, an item, a team.

James’ heart swells. He secretly adores it when she latches onto him like this. He feels like he’s actually doing something _good_ for once. Taking care of his girl. Protecting her.

He wants to kiss her cheek, but he already feels like they are displaying more PDA than usual. And plus, he can start to sense some of the kids are spying on the 2 of them.

Emmie snuggles closer to James as he continues to run his hands through her hair slowly. James started to zone out as the movie played. He could only keep his eyes on his doll. He thinks back to the hard conversation they had last week, and he still can’t believe he was given an angel like Amelia.

~~

_Emmie sits on her bed, fiddling with the blanket on her lap, anxious and confused with what’s going on. She doesn’t drop her gaze from her soulmate who is pacing along the walls in her room._

_James had asked to meet at her apartment to have a serious conversation. Now, here they are and he isn’t talking. His pacing is making her anxiety worse._

_“James, please tell me what’s going on? The suspense is killing me.”_

_James breaks his pacing and finally makes eye contact with her. _

_Emmie can sense that James is off. He looks nervous but also scared, like he has a secret that might ruin him if he exposes it._

_She hates seeing him like this, and she wants to take all of his worries away._

_“Sweet pea, please come here.” Emmie pats the space next to her on her bed. _

_James looks at her tentatively but proceeds to join her on the bed. Emmie goes to grab his hands and squeezes them softly. She looks at him with concern but also adoration. Hoping he can see how much she truly cares for him._

_Emmie reaches up with her right hand and cups his cheek and speaks softly, “My sweet man. Whatever it is, whatever you have to tell me, it’s going to be alright. I’m not going to run away this time. You’re my soulmate, and I’m here for you, okay honey bear?” She pauses to take a breath. “I know it’s scary, but, can you trust me with this? Please?”_

_James can see it in her eyes. Every word she speaks is genuine. He doesn’t deserve this angel in front of him. She’s too good for this world. But he sure as hell is going to do everything he can to keep her._

_He nods gently. He kisses the palm that lays on his cheek and holds both her hands in his lap._

_He laughs softly to himself, “You’re amazing doll, you know that right?”_

_Emmie blushes but doesn’t respond. She squeezes his hands to encourage him to continue._

_James takes a shaky breath, “There’s a lot you don’t know about me. And it’s…not pretty.”_

_“I’m not going anywhere.”_

_James takes that as his cue. He swallows the lump in this throat and licks his chapped lips. He stares down at their joined hands, as he couldn’t bear to look into Emmie’s eyes. Scared of what he might see in them._

_“I’m not the man you think I am. When I was in the war, I got caught up with the enemy. I-I’ve done a lot of bad things in my past, lots of unforgivable things. I’ve been involved with very bad people, who still continue to catch up with and find me, ruining any potential of a normal life. And they’re the ones who gave me my arm.”_

_Emmie looks at him confused. “You aren’t making any sense babe, what are you talking about? And you served in the war?"_

_“You deserve better, you…you shouldn’t be with me. Just me being around you is putting you in danger.”_

_James is rushing through his thoughts and sounds panicked. Emmie pushes herself up and straddles his lap while her hands go to wrap around the base of his neck. She lays her head down on his forehead to try to steady him._

_“Stop, please stop. I’m here, I’m right here James. I’m not leaving you.”_

_Emmie can feel his arms wrap around her snuggly, holding her in place. She runs one hand through his hair while the other rubs his back soothingly. _

_Once she feels his breathing slows down more, she places his hand over her heart. She speaks again delicately. “I’m going to be very honest and tell you some things that are very important and I need you listen very carefully. Understood? " Emmie takes a large breath in to calm her nerves. James nods eventually._

_“The James I know is the most kind, thoughtful, sweet, intelligent, and devilishly handsome man I’ve ever known. You make me feel like I finally matter in this crazy world, you make me feel that special. I know I can always depend on you and I’ve never been able to do that with someone before. Even with how I treated you when you told me you we are soulmates…you…you never gave up on me. You welcomed me back with open arms._

_Emmie can feel him slightly shake in her hands. She moves one to hold his chin, “Honey bear, please look at me.”_

_It takes James a prolonged moment to look into her hazel eyes._

_Emmie smiles warmly when he does, “There you are.” She kisses his cheek to reassure him. “You’re my soulmate James and I’m never ever giving up on you. We are destined to be together for a reason and I am going to trust the universe on this. I’ve finally found you and it’s going to take a lot more than a dangerous past to scare me away. Whatever demons you have, I promise I’ll help you fight them.”_

_“But you can’t help me fight them doll—”_

_“Nu-uh. I’m not done.”_

_James goes stiff. He knows that tone.“Yes ma’am.”_

_“As I was saying…I hope you will be able to rely on me too at some point. I want to be there for you. You’re past doesn’t define who you are. And if you think it does, all I have to say is that the past has made you into the most amazing man I’ve ever met. And lucky enough for me, I’m stuck with him forever.” Emmie giggles at the end._

_“You don’t know what you’re saying Amelia. You don’t understand how bad these people are and what they’re capable of.” James is beside himself, shaking his head vigorously._

_Emmie relents and groans loudly, “Ugh MEN! You men never listen. I just opened up to you and-and…it’s like what I said didn’t mean anything or register at all.”_

_James feels slightly ashamed, he didn’t realize his response hurt her feelings. But she doesn’t understand how bad Hydra really is._

_“I need to protect you at all costs, you don’t understand doll—”_

_She shakes his shoulders gently, pleading with him again, “Then help me understand hot stuff.” _

_James can see her begging; begging to be let into his world._

_“Babydoll…as much as I want to, you knowing more will only put you in more danger.”_

_Emmie sighs. She sighs like she’s given up. She slumps forward and rests her head on his shoulder. James rubs her back gently and luckily she sinks in further into him._

_Emmie thinks for a few more minutes while they sit in hold each other. _

_She sits up when she has an idea. “Would you listen to me if I made you a proposition?” _

_James can see the spark in her eye. “Depends on the proposition dollface.”_

_That earns him an eye roll. “You’re incorrigible!”_

_“I’m what?”_

_“Ugh nevermind.”_

_James chuckles. “I’m all ears doll.”_

_“Seriously?” She asks him excitedly and he nods while he holds her hips in place._

_“Okay, so since you can’t tell me any details on your past, I’m willing to trust you blindly on it. You do whatever you have to do to stay safe, to protect me, whatever. I won’t question it. And I’ll trust you’re doing the best thing for…for us. All I ask is that you communicate to me as much as you can on what’s going on, and that you’ll tell me what to do and when. Is that a fair deal?”_

_James pulls away from her briefly and then holds her head firmly, “God doll…you trust me that much already?”_

_“You haven’t given me any reason not to silly.” She gives him a half smile._

_“But you shouldn’t trust me.”_

_“You keep saying that, yet I’d trust you with my life.”_

_“God damn…” James sighs and leans forward to kiss her forehead. “What the hell am I gonna do with ya doll?”_

_She closes her eyes and giggles. “I mean, in my experience kisses always make things better.”_

_James smugly replies, “I’ll never say no to kissin’ my best girl.”_

_Emmie stops herself from leaning in, and whispers against his lips, “Best girl? Is that like you asking me to be official with you?”_

_James pulls back to look at her, “Official?”_

_“Like going steady, boyfriend/girlfriend.” She says nonchalantly._

_James cradles her head as he runs his thumbs across her cheekbones. “Oh doll…it’s much more than that. You’re my sweetheart, my favorite girl. My one and only best girl.”_

_Emmie is at a loss. She’s never seen or been given so much adoration. She blushes profusely. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.” She giggles once more and kisses his nose. “Is that some old-fashioned slang? ‘Cause I really like it. And you can be my main squeeze. It’s you and me James…you and me.”_

_James’ eyes gloss over. She’s too good for him. How did he end up with Amelia? With a dame like her?_

_"You think I'm devilishly handsome? And...is that a yes?" He smirks at his best girl._

_Emmie nods excitedly, “You gonna kiss me now or what sugar lips?”_

_That seems to pull James out of his thoughts. “Oh you’ve done it now doll.” And he dives in to kiss her passionately._

~~

Emmie sits in his lap while he strokes her hair and thinks about how much her life has changed in the last 2 months. She’s sitting on her soulmate’s lap and can’t think of a more peaceful moment. Even though she doesn’t know what he’s hiding, she has this gut feeling that he’s doing the best thing for her. She has so much trust in him and somehow it doesn’t scare her as much as she thought it would.

She lost interest in the movie long ago and has just focused on the feel of him against her body. How he’s holding her, touching her sweetly, his scent, his slow, strong breaths, and his calming presence. She didn’t ever know what to expect with her soulmates, but James seems to be exactly what she’s needed all along. And she already knows she wants the rest of her life to be spent with him, building a family, smiling, kissing, and laughing with him every day. She can’t think of anything better.

She’s almost asleep when he places the softest kiss to her temple and that brings her out of her daze.

James starts whispering against her hair before he realizes she’s slowly waking up, “You’re so good with them babygirl. And these kids? They love you.” He stops to breathe in the rose smell of her hair. “Makes me lo—” James is too afraid to admit any of his feelings, in fear of it all being taken away. “You’d be the best mom.”

Emmie is on the verge of tears. No man has ever said that to her. She chokes out, “You-you think I’d be a good…mom?” She looks up at him with hopeful eyes, praying he doesn’t retract his last comment.

James stiffens and stops stroking her hair, caught off guard that she heard him. But he can’t lie to her about this, he can see it in her eyes, the desperation for some validation.

He lets out a heavy sigh as he rubs his thumb across her cheekbone to drag her face closer to his. “Not good doll, the best.”

Emmie relaxes into him, relief flooding her soul. “Really?”

James is gonna play this one up, he needs to see her smile again. “Oh yeah doll, I can see you yelling at and chasing your tiny mini-mes who are running around, wreaking havoc. But deep down, as much as they drive you crazy, you’d love them with every fiber of your being. I just know it.”

Emmie replies barely above a whisper, “It’s one of my dreams.”

“Kids wreaking havoc on your life?” James chuckles softly.

“Ha ha, very funny.” She slaps his chest lightly.

James doesn’t know how to tell her he can’t give her that dream, even though he would do anything to make it come true for her. At least Steve could give her babies. That’s another conversation for another day.

In all seriousness, James says, “That dream will come true for you babygirl.”

This baby talk is somehow making her really turned on. They’ve never really talked about taking things further physically. Right now, things have been really good with some PG-13 make-out sessions. She wants to test the waters to see where his head’s at. “Well…we could always practice making babies. Heard that’s the most fun part.”

James grips her tighter, and Emmie is certain there will be bruises tomorrow. Every time he sees her and is with her, he wants to make their connection stronger. He really wants to bond with Emmie, but he’s not sure how she will react to his arm. It’s not something he’s proud of.

He wants to keep things light for her. She needs that right now. He growls in her ear with a smirk. “Alright, this movie needs to end now.” He leans in and kisses right below her ear as his hand travels south to her backside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading as always!! Sending virtual hugs to everyone. Stay safe and healthy <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The soulmates finally connect on a more intimate level

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh thank you all for your patience! This chapter has been a work in progress, really wanted to make it special. All of your comments have been incredible, thank you so much for the support!
> 
> You are finally getting some smut! Yayyy. This was my first time writing smut so I hope I did alright.
> 
> Thanks for sticking around for the next chapter! Happy reading!
> 
> Warnings: Smut and some violence

Emmie’s giddy the whole way home. She’s buzzing with nervous and excited energy. She can’t believe this is actually about to happen. The way James had been holding her at the school was very precious yet teasing and provocative at the same time. He was definitely riling her up, but she couldn’t tell if he was consciously doing it or not. But regardless, she really likes his hands on her.

After James admitted vaguely about his sketchy past, he taught her some things for her to keep an eye out for and when they were together, how they would interact in public. All in the name of her safety. She knows to trust him, so hopefully he can open up to her more soon. All Emmie wants to do is wrap him up in all the love she has for him—_shit, she loves him. She **loves** him._

And for some reason, that doesn’t scare her at all. With everything that’s happened in the last two months, it’s the one thing that makes her feel safe and at peace. Her love for him is her constant.

It feels like her love for him has come out of nowhere, but really, she knows it started budding the moment she met him. He’s unbelievably gentle, sweet, and caring with her. He’s the first person she’s felt safe with, both physically and emotionally. Realizing that makes her smile.

So, when they climb the stairs to his apartment, she can’t take her eyes off him. She can’t imagine a more perfect man, or why she was lucky enough to be with him. Her heart is bursting with love for him. There is absolutely no doubt in her mind she loves her soulmate. _Her red star._

They reach his door on the top floor but before James opens the door for his girl, he notices the way she’s looking at him. And it terrifies him. He can see the admiration and…dare he say love, pour out of her eyes, soaking him in. He feels overcome and undeserving of someone to look at him like that.

James reaches up and places his flesh hand on her cheek and looks deep into those hazel eyes of hers, “You alright, babygirl?”

His touch brings her out of her gaze, “Yeah…more than alright.” She grips his jacket to pull him closer, “You-you’re everything to me, you know that right?”

All James can do is nod, because he knows his voice would betray him. He leans down to press the softest kiss to her forehead. She’s his angel.

“Doll…my place ain’t much—”

Emmie reaches up to smooth his shirt across his chiseled chest, “Handsome hunk of mine, I don’t care what your apartment looks like. Being with you is more important. And all I know is that anywhere I am, I want you with me because it’s always better when I’m with you.”

To reinforce her feelings, Emmie reaches up to place a loving kiss on his lips. Emmie goes to pull away but she’s caught off guard when James reaches up to hold her head still so he can continue kissing her.

He backs up into the door softly and he’s turned on when she releases the most seductive moan when he grips her hair just a little bit tighter.

James releases his hand on her waist to turn the doorknob and then walk her backwards into his apartment with some urgency. He needs to feel more of her.

As if Emmie is reading his mind, she brings both her arms around his neck and breaks the kiss momentarily to whisper, “Up.”

James can’t believe she is asking to be picked up, and he sure as hell isn’t going to deny her. He really likes how confident she is right now.

James releases her head as both hands travel swiftly down her torso and around her backside. His fingers splay across each round ass cheek, gripping her supple bottom firmly. He can’t get enough of her curves.

He presses harder into her ass as his fingers pull her butt cheeks apart as he raises her up his body to where their waists meet. Her legs instantly wrap around his waist and he holds her closer, not allowing an inch of space between their bodies.

Emmie releases another moan, she feels more connected to him already. But she needs more. More of him, more connection, she needs to be closer to him.

Emmie continues to kiss his soft pink lips and breaks away to trail kisses from his lips to his ear. She demands, “More.”

James groans in response and rolls her hips against his already hard cock. He feels Emmie grip his shoulders harder, her nails digging further into his skin.

“Yes,” Emmie gasps against his neck at the feeling of his hard member. She needs more of _that._

She doesn’t realize he set her down on a table until she feels the cool wood below her thighs.

James moves his hands to rest of her waist as he recaptures her lips in a frenzied kiss. His tongue pressing against her teeth, asking for permission to deepen their kiss. She happily allows him access and their tongues begin to dance with each other as they both relish in the taste of their soulmate.

Emmie continues to grind her hips against James when he slightly turns and she finds herself grinding on his glorious, thick thigh. And _it feels so good_.

His hard muscles are rock solid against her warm, wet clothed center. Emmie breaks free from his kissing onslaught to gasp in short breaths as her grinding picks up pace. She can feel that sensation slowly start to build in her core.

Emmie groans as she feels him flex his thigh and her core ignites with desire as his hands move to her hips to help her move faster. Up and down his thigh, getting her closer to that release she wants oh so badly.

Having Emmie ride his thigh is driving him insane, the one person he will allow to use his body for pleasure. Seeing her body crave more and more of what he is giving her, feeling her tighten her thighs around his, makes his cock twitch and strain against his pants.

He can feel she’s close.

Right on cue, she begs, “…Please.”

James traces his lips along her jawline as he complies with her request. Holding her hips more steadily as he pulls her firmer against his thigh. He can sense she’s almost there.

He whispers, “There you go doll, I got you.”

“Yes, yess, so close, please!”

Emmie feels the bubble inside build and build with each stroke down his thigh, _right there._

On the next rock, the build explodes and she’s coming all over his thigh. He continues to rock her through her release. He feels the wetness on his pants, and he finds it so sexy, he got his girl to cum on him.

But what was even sexier was seeing her face come undone as she let go for him.

Emmie grips his biceps as she shakes and pants. She starts to slowly come down from her high. _That felt so damn good._

Emmie leans forward and her forehead rests on his chest. James holds her close and he rubs her back softly up and down.

She giggles softly, “Wow.”

“That was so sexy dollface, _Jesus.”_

Emmie blushes, she’s never had a guy call her sexy. “…Yeah?” She asks shyly.

“Ohhhhh yeah doll.” James smiles broadly down at her while he cups her cheeks. She leans up and captures his lips in a searing kiss.

“But I ain’t done with you yet.” He kisses her nose. He steadies his breath before he nervously asks, “I-I…I want…”

James is struggling to ask Emmie a simple yet forward question, and he isn’t sure how she’ll respond. He wants more of her.

Emmie reaches up and securely holds his face between her hands. She locks eyes with her favorite pair of gray-blue eyes. “Hey,” she pecks his lips. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. No judgment. How could I say no to you after that?” She smirks at him.

He pecks her lips back. “Can I…I want to make you feel good again babydoll. Will you let me?” He doesn’t give her a second to react as he starts moving down her body, leaving kisses in his wake. Kissing down her neck, along her collarbone, in her cleavage. Lower and lower.

Emmie stiffens at what he’s getting at. _He **wants** to go down on her?_

She stutters, “You…you…want to…down there?” She squeaks out at the end.

James comes back to eye level and holds her softly. He remembers the ladies always liking that before the war. He hopes it’s still the same. He nods assuredly.

“You sure?”

“Yes. Would you want that?”

Emmie has never been asked if someone could go down on her. She doesn’t know what to say.

Emmie can’t make eye contact with him. She’s too embarrassed.

“Well…yes, but I don’t want you to feel obligated to do it. You already made me feel so good, so—”

“Stop babygirl.” He kisses her sweetly. “I will always want to make you feel good all the time. Multiple times.” Her cheeks turn beet red. Then it clicks for him.

“Has no one ever…?”

She closes her eyes and shakes her head, “I mean it’s probably my fault—"

James angers at this. How could no one love her like that? Worship her body that like?!

“Open those pretty eyes for me doll,” he waits for her to do so. “Will you let me be the first? And it’s not your fault at all.” He slides his hands up her body under her loose t-shirt, slowly. He feels her shiver at the touch. He leans in to whisper into her ear, “Let me taste you.”

Emmie can’t take it anymore, she gives in and pants, “Yeah, yeah, okay.”

James softly chuckles at her nerves, “Good, now sit back and enjoy yourself babygirl.”

“Mhm, yeah, okay hot stuff,” she says timidly and blushes again.

James places an urgent kiss back on her swollen lips. Emmie tightens her legs around his waist and runs her fingers along his spine. She needs to be as close to him as possible.

James continues to feel every inch of her body under her shirt, running his hands along her soft curves. He feels her suck in and her breath hitch when his hands touch the front of her stomach. _He’ll come back to that later._

James slowly inches the shirt up her body, in hopes she’ll let him take it off. Like she knows what he's asking, Emmie raises her arms and without question, James takes off her top.

He’s left with his soulmate holding her breath again with her eyes closed and biting her lower lip, like she’s nervous in anticipation of his judgment. _She’s so cute when she gets all shy._

Emmie is wearing a black lacey bra and her soft locks look angelic laying on top of her breasts.

James can’t help himself, “Fuck, you’re stunning.”

Emmie’s eyes go wide, “You…you don’t find my body repulsive?”

James’ heart breaks at her words, she doesn’t realize how beautiful she really is. But she needs to realize how much she turns him on, how attracted he is to her. He reaches for her hand and brings it down in between their waists, right on top of his strained, hard cock. Emmie whimpers and moans at the touch.

“Does that seem repulsed to you?”

“Nuh uh.”

James chuckles lowly, “Now, can we continue beautiful?”

Emmie nods her head hurriedly, “Clothes off, _now._”

James groans and kisses Emmie. His hands move to the middle of her back and start fiddling with her bra. He gets it to unhook quicker than he thought, _he’s still got it._

Emmie sighs as James removes her bra, loving the feeling of being free under his touch.

She then feels his hands cup her breasts where he starts to knead them, and then suddenly, he pinches her nipple and rolls it in between his fingers.

“_Fuck_ James, fuck yes, oh my _god_.”

She knows playing with her tits makes her wet, she kind of hopes James figures that out. It is such a turn on for her.

While James continues to massage her tits, she doesn’t feel him pull her pants off, along with her panties, with his metal hand.

When she realizes she’s completely bare to him, she starts to freak out but his lips are back on her before she can act on it. If she’s pressed up against his body the whole time, he won’t see all her flaws. She melts into his touch and reaches up to lace her hands through his hair.

She could kiss him all day. When they kiss, they are so in tune with each other, it’s balanced and harmonious, like they know exactly what the other one needs.

She’s then left with cold air and his lips are gone. She opens her eyes and he’s nowhere to be seen. But she can feel his hands on her legs.

When she looks down at the feeling on her legs, what she sees shocks her. James is on his knees, holding her thighs as far apart as possible and staring up at her, expectantly waiting for her permission.

James can see she’s caught off guard. He places delicate kisses on her inner thighs, leading up to her core. Her whimper spills out as his lips make contact with her skin.

He looks back up and she’s nodding, begging him.

James smirks and keeps eye contact as he places a gentle kiss on top of her clit, causing Emmie’s body to twitch and to release a breathy moan. He kisses around the edges of her wet core, and he moans as he grips her thighs tighter. Her wetness inviting him in.

Emmie loudly moans as he dives in and opens her lips with his tongue and starts to lick her juices up. She’s never known this amazing feeling. And she doesn’t want it to stop.

The fluttering in her core begins to build again, as his tongue steadily licks her clit. He moves his tongue in circles around her bundle of sensitive nerves and she’s getting close again. She doesn’t want him to let up.

Her hands quickly grab his hair and yank his head further into her core. She doesn’t want any space between them, she’s _so close._

“More, please, more. I’m-I’m almost there babe, _please._”

James moans around her clit and Emmie quakes. He loves how she takes control and then grinds her hips against his lips and tongue. He can’t get enough of her and her taste.

James picks up his speed as does Emmie with her grinding hips. She can feel small beads of sweat drip down between her cleavage. God she’s on the edge and she needs just a little bit more.

James feels her tense and clench up as his tongue flicks and licks her clit, she’s panting and on the brink.

He flattens his tongue over her mound and sucks. This pushes her over the edge and she’s coming in his mouth. Her thighs are shaking around his head and he’s pulled in even closer to her center.

She grinds on his tongue for several more seconds as she rides out her orgasm, moaning wantonly. Emmie releases a loud groan as she exhales out all of her breath as she finally comes down from her high.

James places soft kisses around her sensitive nub. She tries to push him away but he presses on, kissing back up her body, until he is standing between her still shaking legs. He runs his hands along her thighs to soothe her. She closes her eyes at his calming touch.

She wraps her hands around his neck and pulls him down so his forehead can rest on hers.

Emmie giggles softly, whispers, “That…that was the sexiest thing anyone has done to me. _Thank you._”

James kisses her temple. “No need to thank me. I wanted to do that. And you taste _good._” He whispers the last part right above her lips. She closes the distance and kisses him. Tasting herself on his tongue, she moans, hoping James will want to do that again.

Emmie shivers at his words. She’s so lucky she found him.

“Pretty sure that was the fastest orgasm I ever had,” Emmie ducks her head and rests it on his collarbone. “Also best orgasm I’ve ever had.” She kisses his shirt covered chest.

James holds her closer and kisses her hair. “Plenty more where that came from.”

“You’re too good to me.”

“It’s what you deserve babygirl. Nothing less.”

Emmie leans back to look in his eyes and she sees nothing but the truth. She wants to tell him she loves him but she knows it’s too soon. She doesn’t want to scare him off. Instead she opts for another loving, soft kiss, that turns into a needy makeout session.

Then she feels his hard member rub against her sensitive core, and realizes he needs his release too, and she wants to make him feel just as good. She never wants to neglect him.

Emmie’s hands move to his back and his waist as she tries to slyly and slowly move her hands to the front. She can feel his abs tremble and his breath hitch as her feather light touch descends closer to the edge of his pants.

He isn’t pulling away from her touch as they continue to kiss and she quickly undoes his belt and zips down the front. She hesitantly reaches under his jeans to feel his thick and hard cock over his boxers.

_He is going to ruin her._

Emmie starts to slowly rub her hand up and down the part of his cock she can reach. James’ hands hold onto the edge of the counter and his knuckles turn white, it’s been a long time since he can remember a woman touching him like this.

He stops kissing her to pant into her neck right below her ear. She trickles her fingers up to the top of his boxers and starts to go down under the fabric, but he can’t let her, too ashamed. Afraid.

He’s trapped with her legs wrapped around his waist. He knows he can break free easily, but she wants him there and honestly, he doesn’t want to move either.

Emmie runs her hands up and down the sides of his torso to relax him, she can see how tense he is.

“Let me, please? I want you to feel good too, hot stuff.”

James gives in and rests his forehead on hers as she lowers her hand below his boxers. Her feet work to push down his jeans past his glorious ass. Her hand gets a steady but soft grip on his hard member and frees him of his boxers. He sighs in relief.

“Fuck, you’re huge.”

Emmie basks in the feel of his cock in her hand. The vein on the underside popping out, the precum glistening at his tip. She’s overwhelmed that he’s so aroused. Her feet cross at the ankles at his lower back and pull his waist close so that his dick is resting against her core. She grinds along his long member to get her still very present wetness on him.

James moans into her shoulder and bites slightly into her skin. The feeling of her wetness on him is too much. He wants to take her right now. But he knows he needs to go at her pace.

Emmie picks up her pace now that his cock is covered in her juices. Each time she pulls on him, she twists her hand, touching every inch of him. His quick breaths and the twitch in his cock give her the reassurance that he likes what she’s doing.

Her thumb reaches around the tip of his cock and slides down the slit, making him hiss.

“Shit dollface.”

“Sorry sorry—”

“Don’t you dare apologize, you’re doing everything right.”

Emmie rubs her thumb in the same place for good measure again and he bits his lower lip as he moans.

She herself likes dirty talk, so she’s going to test the waters with him. “You like that hot stuff? My hand making you feel so good?”

“You have no idea baby,” James breathes out. So good in fact he starts to thrust into her hand. She grips him a little tighter.

Emmie takes a risk. She reaches her other hand down to coddle his balls. Her fingers softly massage them as her hand speeds up.

“I’m gonna cum if you keep that up babygirl—”

“That’s the point.”

James grunts as he fucks her hand harder. Emmie kisses his lips briefly and then leans up to his ear, “Let go. Let go for me.”

With that, James allows himself to let go and he releases onto Emmie’s body. James shudders at her touch and Emmie releases her sticky hands after his final thrust into her palm.

No words are exchanged while James slows down his breathing. His silence begins to eat at Emmie.

She asks worriedly, “Did I do okay?”

James’ eyes go wide and he puts his hands on her cheeks. “Do _okay_? Doll, that was…amazing. You did more than okay.”

Emmie shyly giggles, not knowing how to respond. But then the stickiness starts to harden.

She’s nervous to ask him, “Would you wanna join me in the shower?” She pats her stomach and her fingers stick to it. “I’m a bit of a mess,” she adds with a sweet, half smile.

James hesitates, she hasn’t seen his shoulder and the scars. He can’t lose her after he just experienced that with her.

But the way she’s looking at him? How could he deny her. Those _eyes._ So much hope. He can’t crush her hope.

He chucks off his pants and boxers and picks her up. She wraps her legs around his waist and clutches her arms around his neck. She shrieks and places a soft kiss on his neck as she snuggles in closely to him.

He smiles down at his girl, “It’ll be a tight fit, but we’ll make do.”

~~

James wasn’t kidding about the shower. It was a super tight fit, with him taking up a majority of it. Which Emmie really didn’t mind. She really liked being pressed up against him, skin on skin, with the steam rising all around them.

It took James a few minutes to muster up the courage to join her in the shower because he was afraid of her judgment on his shoulder. But when he did, he noticed her eyes rake over his form, observing all the scars. He let her eyes wonder, hanging onto hope that she wouldn’t reject him. He thought he saw her lip tremble and her eyes water, but it might have been the from the shower.

But what he didn’t know is that the reason she was tearing up was because she finally saw the red star.

The way she said, “It’s you, it’s really you,” and then broadly smiled with her hands cupping his face, like she was holding the lost treasure she had been searching for her entire life. It was like Emmie finally realized and recognized who James was, that he was real, right in front of her. It almost brought tears to his eyes.

And then she proceeded to kiss the living daylights out of him. Emmie needed to be with him, convey how much he means to her. He absolutely got the message.

Luckily, she didn’t say a word about the rest of his arm or the scaring, and she didn’t touch anywhere near them either. He was grateful she didn’t force the matter. Because of her, they were able to enjoy their shower together.

It was a really sweet, soft, gentle moment for them. They cleaned each other up and shared lingering kisses, nothing ever getting too heated. James was very thorough in his cleaning and his touching. He made sure every touch was a sweet caress. He wanted to show her how precious she is to him.

James has this way of making Emmie feel more comfortable with her body. She was petrified of being naked in front of him, but the way he looks at her, with adoration and desire in heated moments, she might be turning a corner on how she sees herself.

Emmie wanted to stay the night, have more time with her soulmate. It took lots of convincing and many, many kisses to get him to agree to her spending the night. He’s embarrassed of his place and doesn’t want her sleeping in a shithole, but he also doesn’t want to upset her by saying no. He will just have to stay up the whole night and sleep during the day tomorrow. He will protect Emmie at all costs, even if it’s against himself.

So, they lay there in bed, completely relaxed and curled up with each other. Emmie is snuggled against James like a koala clutching to a eucalyptus tree. She is resting on his right side, her head on his shoulder, her leg wrapped up in between his, and her right arm slung over his torso. She’s drawing small circles with her fingers around her pineapple soul mark on his torso. She’s not ever letting go.

This is the most peaceful James has ever been. His girl in his arms, relishing in the touch she gives him.

He’s trying so hard to stay awake because he’s still having his nightmares, and he doesn’t trust himself with her while he sleeps. But Emmie just does something to him. Her tender touch relaxes him too much.

She breaks the long comfortable silence and suddenly begins to speak to no one, voicing her thoughts out loud, not realizing he’s still awake.

“Every day I am thanking whoever is above for guiding me to move to Bucharest. If I hadn’t, I might not have met you when I did. And I’m so glad I hung on and didn’t give up. Didn’t give in and end things. And knowing you now, I can’t imagine life without you.

She lets out a small laugh, “You are literally the hottest person I’ve ever been with. I question everyday if I’m good enough for you, because you deserve to be with someone just as beautiful as you.

“I know it might seem fast, but I need you to know…I love you so much. I love you so damn much James and it makes my heart so full but also terrifies me beyond compare. You’re the best thing that has happened to me James. And I can’t wait for our future.”

James can feel his heart in his throat. He didn’t know he could ever be loved by someone, and someone as wholesome as his Amelia.

He pulls her closer to him, “I know. I know Amelia. You’re my best girl, will be forever.”

He can’t say those three words back to her just yet. But she makes his life that much better. She already has in the past 2 months.

“Shit I thought you were asleep.” She stutters, “I-I…it’s too fast isn’t it? I’m sorry, that’s a lot to put on you so quickly—”

James shuts her up with a kiss. It takes her a moment to kiss him back but when she does, she relaxes further into his embrace.

“I gotchu, baby, I gotchu.” It isn’t _I love you,_ but Emmie knows that’s him showing it.

They both continue to run their hands over each other, and it eventually lulls them to sleep.

~~

Emmie abruptly wakes up by her James murmuring loudly. His grip on her strengthens, and it’s now teetering on being painful. His head is bobbing side to side, she can see beads of sweat drip down his face, his eyes twitching underneath his eyelids, and his metal arm gripping the sheet tightly.

She’s never seen him like this before. He’s obviously not alright, and the things he’s saying aren’t making sense. It’s possibly a different language?

Emmie somehow pulls herself out of his arms and places her hands on his chest, “James? James? Wake up baby, I think you’re having a bad dream.”

Nothing.

She starts to shake his chest a little, tapping his pecs lightly. “…James? Please baby, wake up, I’ll make sure you’re alright. I’ll take care of you, promise.”

Emmie can feel the tears building up behind her eyes, she can’t seem to do anything to help him. She feels useless, she can't even get her soulmate out of a nightmare. She just wants him to be okay.

She reaches her hand up to rest on his cheek, hoping a kind touch will bring him out of it. “Hey honey bear, it’s me, Emmie—”

At that, James’ eyes open wide and his metal hand grips her wrist, too tightly. She looks into his eyes, but she sees nothing. She doesn’t see _her_ James. All she sees is emptiness.

Something is _definitely_ wrong.

“James, babe, you’re hurting me. Please let go.” But he does the exact opposite, he holds her wrist even harder and then squeezes harder than she could ever imagine. She hears a crunch, a crack. The pain runs up her arm as she realizes he just broke her wrist, and she sees a few bones sticking out of her skin. She can feel the bile rising up within her.

She lets out a scream and clutches her hand to her body, but then she’s off the bed dangling in the air, with his metal hand around her throat.

With her good hand, she tries to pry his fingers off her throat but it’s no use. He’s too strong.

She’s losing oxygen and his grip is making it harder and harder to breathe. She’s gasping for whatever air she can get.

James glares at her threateningly. He’s never looked her at like that before. And she’s scared, she just wants her James back. Her sweet, sweet man.

He finally speaks, his voice an octave lower than usual. He punctuates each word with his death glare, “You are my mission!”

_Mission? What mission?_

Emmie is sobbing in between her gasps, “It’s me, Emmie, I promise—”

She doesn’t get another word in as James chucks her easily across the room, her face colliding with the counter and then her body slamming against the wall.

Her vision is blurry as she tries to pick her head up, but it hurts too much. It’s too heavy and feels like she’s drowning. She just lays there, as her head bobs, on the edge of fading into darkness.

She can vaguely see a shadow approach her. She chokes out before she fades into unconsciousness, “I-I’m you-you’re…pineapple…”

Her words freeze James in his steps, and he shakes his head, pulling his hair as if that would pull out the nightmare he’s having.

He blinks his eyes a few times and takes in his surroundings. He sees a female laying unconscious on the floor, her hair hiding her face, and blood pooling from her head. She’s in bad shape.

But the hair looks familiar. His eyes travel across her body to search for any other clues. Then he sees her soul marks on her wrists. _No. No no no. _

The recognition hits him like a freight train. He stumbles backwards, his breathing becoming heavier. This is his worst nightmare coming true. 

He hurt his Amelia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! :) <3


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will James and Emmie reunite? A special someone finally comes into play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there my lovelies! Thanks for your patience again. 
> 
> There is a decent amount of dialogue from the CACW in this, so please bear with me. Just trying to build some context. Also in the last scene, the timing of the dialogue will be slightly altered to fit in Emmie and her connection to everything.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter, thank you for always waiting patiently for each chapter! The comments are amazing, thank you for all the support and encouraging words.
> 
> Stay safe and healthy, sending virtual hugs!
> 
> Enjoy!

_She can vaguely see a shadow approach her. She chokes out before she fades into unconsciousness, “I-I’m you-you’re…pineapple…”_

_Her words freeze James in his steps, and he shakes his head, pulling his hair as if that would pull out the nightmare he’s having._

_He blinks his eyes a few times and takes in his surroundings. He sees a female laying unconscious on the floor, her hair hiding her face, and blood pooling from her head. She’s in bad shape._

_But the hair looks familiar. His eyes travel across her body to search for any other clues. Then he sees her soul marks on her wrists. No. No no no. _

_The recognition hits him like a freight train. He stumbles backwards, his breathing becoming heavier. This is his nightmare coming true. _

_He hurt his Amelia. _

~~

James stands there staring at his unconscious, bleeding soulmate. This has been his biggest fear, hurting those closest to him. And it came true.

He clenches his fists at the sight in front of him, his metal arm whirring loudly now. His flesh arm twitching at the horror he never wanted to cause.

Blood continues to pool around her head, and he snaps out of his haze. He drops to the floor and cradles her head against his thighs. He reaches to her neck and luckily finds a pulse. _Thank god._

He holds her head steady as he grabs a rag and bunches it up to hold against the wound.

Her hair is soaked with blood, her left eye is swollen shut and is discolored like a ripe plum, a mix of purples and some black, and what hurts him the most is the red hand grip mark around her neck. _That will bruise badly._

He shakes those thoughts out as he focuses on stopping the bleeding as fast as possible. He needs to save her.

James looks down at his beautiful soulmate, barely holding onto life.

He can feel the emotions bubble up inside. Emotions he hasn’t been able to feel in decades. Tears are on the edge of spilling over, but he blinks them back.

James speaks softly down to Emmie, his voice broken and full of remorse, as he smooths her hair out of her face. “I’m so sorry babygirl, so so damn sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have fallen asleep. I should have known this would happen. I-I can’t trust myself around you right now—"

He feels his girl groggily groan. Emmie’s good eye flickers open and she looks up to see her favorite man. _Can she only see out of one eye right now?_ She’s confused but seeing her man makes her happy, so she ignores it for now.

She gives him a soft, half smile, as she continues to wake up.

She wheezes, “Have I ever told you that you’re the most handsome man I’ve ever seen?”

James sniffles at that, feeling the tears come back. He cups her cheek gently and lets of out a small chortle. He kisses her forehead, then her nose, and finally her cheek. Emmie closes her eye at the feeling. Even in the thick of her despair, she’s thinking of him. Making him feel special when she’s in pain. Somehow, she keeps surprising him, this beautiful soulmate of his.

“A time or two…and have I ever told you that you’re my sweet angel? My best girl forever?”

He can feel her nod slightly. “I love you so damn much James.”

She tilts her head back so she can give him a sweet, slow, meaningful kiss. But after a few moments, Emmie feels the pain in her wrist, her ribs, head and neck. And it is _excruciating_.

Emmie breaks away and pants, the pain too overwhelming. “Ah-ah-ahhh fuck.”

“I gotchu, baby, I gotchu. Hold still.”

James cringes at her pain, knowing he caused it. He doesn’t want to cause her anymore pain. Maybe she’s better off without him…

“Why does everything hurt babe? I feel so stiff and achy.”

“Do…do you not remember what happened?”

“No…what happened? Did something bad happen? Would that explain why I can’t open one eye?” Emmie makes the mistake of raising her broken wrist to point to it and that’s when she sees it, the bone sticking out.

Her eyes go wide, “WHAT THE HELL! Why is my bone sticking out?!” But at her sudden movement, the agonizing pain paralyzes her, and she screams again. Her back arches off the floor and her eyes screw shut.

James is overtaken with guilt. He did this. This is his fault. If he stays, he could hurt her even more. And he can’t take that risk.

He moves out from under her. The movement causing Emmie to groan once more in pain.

He moves for the door. She’s better off without him. “I’m sorry babygirl. I’m so sorry.”

“…What?!” But before Emmie can get another word in, he’s slipped out the door and gone.

~~

***A Few Days Later in Upstate New York***

The aftermath of Lagos has been full of dread and agony. Steve has felt so much guilt for allowing Rumlow to get in his head, over one word. One person. He feels like he let everyone down and he's taking full responsibility of the lives that were lost in Lagos.

Then the meeting with Secretary Ross went…well it wasn’t good. He knows giving power over to a UN panel is not how they are going to effectively and efficiently save the world from devastating and imminent threats.

Steve sits pensively on a modern chair in the Avengers compound common room with the entire team gathered around. He’s reading and looking over the Sokovia Accords as they bicker in the background.

It's sad because the team seems to be divided. And that terrifies him.

“Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor. Which is one more than you have.” Rhodey argues.

“So let’s say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they lojack us like a bunch of common criminals?” Sam spits back.

“117 countries want to sign this. 117 Sam. And you’re just like ‘No, that’s cool. We got it.’”

“How long are you going to play both sides?”

Vision finally steps into the debate. “I have an equation.”

Steve looks at him expectantly.

“Oh, this will clear it up,” Sam sasses back.

“In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man…the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. During the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate.”

“Are you saying it’s out fault?” Steve asks defensively.

“I’m saying there may be a causality…Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict…breeds catastrophe.

“Oversight…Oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand.” Vision states.

“Boom.” Rhodey says.

Nat finally adds, “Tony…You are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal.”

Tony is slumped in his leather chair with his hand slayed over his faced, utterly annoyed. He can’t take all this petty arguing.

“It’s because he’s already made up his mind.” Steve levels.

“Boy, you know me so well.” Tony says flatly. “Actually, I’m nursing an electromagnetic headache.” He rubs his head as he makes his way over to the kitchen.

“That’s what’s going on Cap. It’s just pain. It’s discomfort…Who’s putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?”

Tony places his handheld device in a basket and touches the screen. It projects up into space above and showcases a young black man smiling easily with bright eyes.

Tony points to the projection, “Oh that’s Charles Spencer, by the way. He’s a great kid. Computer engineering degree. 3.6 GPA, had a floor level gig at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul…before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be a service. Charlie didn’t want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn’t go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where. Sokovia.”

That hits everyone hard. They seem to stare blankly ahead or stare down into their laps in remorse.

Tony continues, “He wanted to make a difference I suppose. We won’t know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass.”

Tony swallows a pill and takes a sip from his mug. “There’s no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, I’m game. If we can’t accept limitations, if we’re boundary-less, we’re no better than the bad guys.”

Steve doesn’t like where Tony is leading this, “Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don’t give up.”

“Who said we’re giving up?”

“We are if we’re not taking responsibility for our actions. This documents just shifts the blame.” Steve explains.

“I’m sorry, Steve. That is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we’re talking about. It’s not the World Security Council, it’s not SHIELD, it’s not HYDRA.”

“No, but it’s run by people with agendas, and agendas change.”

Tony adds, “That’s good. That’s why I’m here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stopped manufacturing.”

“Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don’t think we should go? What if there is some where we need to go, and they don’t let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own.”

“If we don’t do this now, it’s gonna be done to us later. That’s the fact. That won’t be pretty.”

Wanda responds, “You’re saying they’ll come for me.”

Vision tries to reassure her, “We would protect you.”

Nat tries to reason, “Maybe Tony’s right. If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off—”

“Aren’t you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?” Sam asks astonished.

“I’m just reading the terrain. We have made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back.”

“Focus up. I’m sorry. Did I just mishear you…or did you agree with me?”

“I want to take it back now.” Nat whines.

“No, you can’t retract it.” Tony wiggles his finger no. “Thank you. Unprecedented.”

Steve feels his phone buzz and he picks it up. He opens up the text and what he sees breaks his heart.

Tony continues, “Okay, case closed. I win.”

_She’s gone. In her sleep. _

“I have to go.”

Steve leaves the room abruptly. He can’t be here. He has to be alone. One of his most precious connections to his past is gone. Gone forever. And he feels like he can’t breathe.

His whole world feels like it’s crumbling. The Avengers are falling apart. The love of his life is gone. His best friend is still missing.

All Steve can feel is loneliness. He doesn’t have anything left now, because the team seems to be tearing in two.

But he knows he has to leave. To say his final goodbye.

~~

***The Next Week in Bucharest***

Emmie has been an emotional mess all week. After the altercation at James’ apartment and how he left her there abruptly and injured, she limped her way home and got Yvonne to take her to the hospital. She was able to get into an emergency surgery to get her wrist set and put into a cast.

Her wrist was shattered so they had to put a metal plate and a few screws in to stabilize and reconstruct her wrist for it to be mobile. Luckily where the wrist was broken, it didn’t ruin her soul mark of Captain’s shield.

They stitched up her head wound and wrapped protective gauze around her head. They put her in a hard cast to help with recovery. And she’s been in a neck brace all week to prevent further damage.

There wasn’t much to do about her swollen black eye except icing it several times a day. It had reduced the swelling a tad, but the swelling was still prominent. And she still couldn’t open her eye.

Yvonne was worried beyond compare. Emmie hasn’t said a word all week. She’s been withdrawn ever since she got out of surgery. She can hear her cry herself to sleep every night, and she flinches at any attempt that Yvonne or Marius try to touch or soothe her. Yvonne is picking up a sense that Emmie is afraid they’ll hurt her.

So, after a full week from surgery, Yvonne and Marius have had enough. They have catered to her every need when Emmie needs any medication or pillow adjustment. They’ve gotten her all the foods she’s allowed and willing to eat. And yet Emmie hasn’t uttered a word about what happened or shown any inkling of emotion, besides the few tears that trickle down her cheek from time to time.

As they sit down for dinner that night, Emmie can feel the unspoken tension rise with each passing moment. It’s tangible, where it’s leaving goosebumps on her skin and worry in her mind.

“Just spit it out Auntie, I can’t take your pitiful looks anymore.” Emmie said spitefully.

Yvonne sighs and puts down her fork. She turns to fully face Emmie and holds her hands softly. “My sweetness, I’m not sure what happened but I know it’s eating away at you. I’ve only ever seen you like this after your parents got divorced. Did something happen with James? _Please_, let us help you. My heart is breaking for you.”

Emmie softens at her words. She knows Auntie cares and that anything she says, she’s safe with Auntie, but it’s still terrifying. And upsetting. She’s pretty sure she lost her soulmate. She should have seen this coming, something like this would happen to her.

Her emotions were bubbling over and she looked between her Auntie and Marius, and finally lets the dam break. She breaks down and falls into Yvonne’s chest, as her body shakes with anguished cries.

In between sobs, Emmie sputters out, “He-he left me. _He left me_.”

Emmie feels another set of arms gently wrap around her back. But even the slightest pressure causes pain to erupt in her neck. And it makes her cry even harder. In both physical and emotional pain.

“Em, he’ll come back. I’m sure of it. That boy adores you.” Marius whispers against her hair.

Emmie takes a few breaths to steady her voice, “But if he adores me, why would he leave me like he did?”

“Will you tell us what happened please? We want to help you my sweetness.”

Emmie knows she’s been bottling up her hurt, frustration, heartbreak, anger, and devastation behind her injuries. She tried to disguise her tears as pain from the surgery, but she knew Yvonne and Marius saw right through it.

Emmie swallows the lump in her throat. “We…we took things to the next level and it was amazing and perfect, and he was an absolute gentleman. But then we went to bed and I woke up to him having a nightmare. I tried waking him, which maybe was the wrong thing to do, but he seemed to be a different James when he woke up. He…he…”

“Emmie, please tell me he did _not_ lay a hand on you—"

Emmie cries silently, as her shoulders shake. “Please don’t be mad. It was an accident. I know it was an accident.”

“Shoo shoo shoo, Emmie, we aren’t mad, we just want you safe. And I can tell your heart aches for him.”

All Emmie can do is nod. At his words, her chest clenches at the thought of never being with James again. Never reuniting with her soulmate and she can’t bare the thought of it.

Yvonne runs her hands up and down her spine slowly, trying to calm down her distraught niece. “Emmie…what is your heart telling you?”

“I just miss him so damn much. I want him back. I want my James, my love back,” Emmie sobs.

She just wants her James back. She wants her soulmate to come back and never leave her again. She wants love and peace.

“Then lets go get your soulmate back,” Marius responds with resolve.

~~

James has been an emotional wreck all week. He hasn’t been able to sleep. He hasn’t been eating. He looks ghostly white and his hair is filled with grease and looks stringy.

He left Bucharest so he could think. He went deep into a nearby forest, where there wasn’t a human in sight, only sunshine, the breeze, nature, and its inhabitants.

He thought of what he should do. How he could protect Emmie. What he needs to do to is stay in the wind and not attract any Hydra goons.

But his heart keeps betraying his mind. He can’t stop thinking of his best girl and if she’s okay. He did a number on her and he can’t get those images out of his head of her lying on the floor, damaged from his metal arm.

He knows he just needs to check in on her one last time before he leaves for good. If he was actually activated, he would end up killing her, and he wouldn’t be able to live with that. A life without Amelia? After knowing and being with her? _Not possible._

It’s late at night, around 11:30pm, a week after the incident. After he had a moment of weakness and put her in jeopardy. He’s been praying she’s making a recovery.

He makes his way up the fire escape up to his apartment. As he climbs into his home through the window, he senses something. What throws him off is three very familiar heartbeats outside his front door. And one _extremely_ familiar scent and presence.

He can’t stop his feet from approaching. He has to know how she is.

He opens the door to a very angry Marius, an exhausted Yvonne, and a sleeping Emmie.

Yvonne nudges Emmie awake, and she comes to slowly. She moves at a sluggish pace, moving the body parts she could without inducing too much pain.

He sees her neck brace, her wrist cast, and the still swollen black eye. When she makes eye contact with him, James looks ashamed and crosses his arms over his chest as he looks down. He can’t believe he did that to her. He hurt her so badly where she can’t function without help.

But he’s beyond thankful she’s alive.

Yvonne helps her stand up, and Emmie is rigid in every movement. She’s groaning the entire way up and working on steadying her breath.

Once she has her feet under her, she begins moving towards James as her eyes build with unshed tears and her bottom lip begins to wobble. Her heart rate picks up and her cheeks redden.

James holds his breath, not sure what he’s going to expect. He deserves any repercussion and all consequences she gives him.

But his wall shatters as she wraps her arms tenderly around his waist and lays her head on his forearms while she stares compassionately back up at him.

“You came back.” Her voice wavers. “You came back to me.” Tears silently make fresh tracks down her cheeks.

There’s that hope again in her eyes. That hope and love that transcends even his own doubts.

He uncrosses his arms and wraps them gingerly around her shoulders to hold her close. He closes his eyes as he kisses her forehead gently as he soaks in his best girl, once again in his arms. He nods against her head, “I’m so sorry I left. I was such an idiot. I’m sorry doll.”

She shakes her head adamantly, and whispers back, “It’s okay, it’s okay, you came back, that’s what’s most important.”

Before James can respond, Marius coughs purposely, interrupting their moment.

“You’re going to explain what happened and we aren’t leaving until you do.” He says with an edge of intimidation.

James stiffens, and Emmie can feel his breath hitch. His nerves kicking in. “It’s going to be okay hot stuff.” And she winks at him and places a kiss on his chest.

James nods and leads them inside, out from the hallway. He knows he can’t get out of this. “Yes sir.”

~~

***London***

Steve can’t process anything that’s going on. His Peggy, his best girl, just passed. He carried her in her casket down the church aisle, fighting back tears the entire time, but losing each battle. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, that he was living some horrible nightmare. His entire world was ripped from him and his last string of hope was gone now. This was something he never wanted to have to do, never envisioned him having to do. Peggy was a fighter, always was until her dying breath.

Peggy was his constant, his compass, his guidance, and his hope for a better life. She always believed in him and made him think he could do anything in this world.

Then on top of it, he found out Agent 13 is Peggy’s _niece._ At the funeral, no less, as she gave a touching and sentimental speech to commemorate Peggy. Her words hit him right in the heart, and it felt like Peggy was speaking through Sharon. Telling him to stand tall, continue being the man he’s always been. To never give in.

It felt like she was speaking directly at him. And he was going to follow those words. Plant yourself like a tree and make them move.

The world must be playing some kind of joke on him because he has too many conflicting emotions. His _relationship, _or whatever you want to call it, with Agent 13 was thwarted from the beginning but he still feels this pull towards her. She has always had his back and in a way, has represented everything that Peggy was, beyond her actual relation to Peggy’s lineage. And now it all makes sense.

As they make their way into the hotel lobby from the funeral, he’s chatting idly with Sharon.

“My mom tried to talk me out of the Mustang, but um, Aunt Peggy bought me my first thigh holster.”

“Very practical.” Steve agrees and smiles.

“And stylish.” Sharon adds.

Sharon presses the button for the elevator. And turns back to Steve. There’s an awkward pause as they look at each other, not knowing how to continue the conversation.

Steve takes the initiative, “CIA has you stationed over here now?”

“Berlin. Joint Terrorism Task Force.”

“Right. Right. Sounds fun.” He raises his eyebrows at her.

“I know right?” Sharon responds with a smirk.

Steve takes another pause. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. When you were spying on me from across the hall—”

“You mean when I was doing my job,” Sharon corrects him.

Steve nods, “Did Peggy know?”

Sharon sighs, “She kept so many secrets. I didn’t want her to have one from you.”

The elevator finally arrives, breaking them out of their moment. “Thanks for walking me back.”

“Sure.”

But the air between them shifts slightly, Sharon looks deep into his eyes, trying to figure of what’s going on between them.

And of course, they’re interrupted. _He’s always interrupted. _

“Steve…there’s something you gotta see.” Sam speaks forlornly.

……

They make their way up to their hotel room and are standing in front of the TV, watching in disbelief at the horror on the screen. The United Nations Complex was bombed. Firefighters and first responders were at the scene doing everything to put out the fire and contain the situation.

Sharon’s already on the phone working, conversing, and trying to figure out her next steps.

The male news anchor speaking about the attack, “_A bomb hidden in a news van ripped through the UN building in Vienna. More than 70 people have been injured. At least 12 are dead, including Wakanda’s King T’Chaka. Officials have released a video of a suspect, who they’ve identified as James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier, the infamous HYDRA agent linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations_.”

Steve is rigid. The last thing that could go wrong did. He’s gotta get to Buck. If he is truly the Winter Soldier again, he has to save him. He's the only one who can.

Sharon walks over next to Steve, speaking softly, “I have to go to work.”

~~

***Bucharest***

As James makes his way to the farmer’s market and towards Marius’ stand, he reminisces over last night. How last night changed everything and put Emmie and him back on the right track.

James feels a mix of guilt and relief. Guilt for putting Emmie in that position in the first place but also relief that she has the patience and understanding to forgive him and give them a second chance.

Marius was true to his word and him and Yvonne stayed until James opened up. It was one of the hardest conversations he’s had, but it was worth every single minute, because he got his best girl back.

She passed out right after their conversation, but James made the conscious effort to stay up. He’s been up for a solid 24 hours now and he’s a bit exhausted. But it’s a small price to pay for the safety of his soulmate.

Emmie stirred slightly when he got up this morning. He gave her plentiful of warm, playful pecks on her forehead, cheeks, nose, and finally her lips. Her giggles warmed his heart and all he wants to do is continue to make her smile and laugh. 

He finally reaches Marius and gets Emmie her usual tea. Marius nods at him with an earnest understanding, knowing that James is going to take care of his niece. For the rest of his days. And it steadies him. He feels like Emmie gives him purpose now.

When he makes his way back, he stops to get a few plums. Not only for him, but for Emmie. She loves them just as much as he does.

But something catches his eye as he turns away from the farm stand.

He makes eye contact with the damn newspaper boy, who mugged his girl. _Did he not learn his lesson from his beating?_

The newspaper boy gives him the most suspicious look. Like he has somehow realized James’ true identity.

James slowly creeps his way over to the stand as the newspaper boy shrieks and scurries out of the booth in a panic.

He takes a glance at the cover story of the daily paper and he freezes. The Winter Soldier bombing the UN? _Fuck._

His jaw clenches. He didn’t do this. This wasn’t him. He’s been with Emmie all night, and right when he’s reconnected with his best girl. _Just his luck._

This has to be the doing of Hydra, to get him out of hiding.

_He’s being framed._

~~

James rushes back to Emmie, wanting to protect her and get her out of harms way. Wanting to shield her from his past, from the gory and unforgiving acts he’s committed that are catching up to him. They will most certainly use her as leverage to get him to comply. He can’t risk that happening.

He works on getting her out of bed swiftly. The cup of tea he entices her with helps immediately. He gets her into the bathroom, and she can tell immediately that something is wrong.

They don’t have much time. He knows people are coming for him. And if the newspaper boy spotted him, he’s sure law enforcement is on their way soon.

“Babygirl, I’ll explain when you’re done. Now, let me help you shower doll.”

Emmie obeys and gets to it. She undresses quickly as James turns the shower on. He helps her take off her neck brace so she can clean herself fully.

She doesn’t want to upset him any further than he already is, she hates seeing him in distress. He helps her take the quickest shower of her life. Her sleep deprived mind and body be damned.

~~

Steve was lucky enough to get reliable intel from Sharon about Bucky. There was a sighting of him in Bucharest and that’s where he finds himself now. Standing in a rundown apartment, with the windows covered with newspapers, blocking any views of looking inside.

He’s glad he made it before any law enforcement did because of Sharon’s warning. He’s not going to let them kill his best friend, his soulmate, if he has anything to say about it.

He walks around, observing the conditions that Bucky has been living in. It’s a small studio. There’s a small fridge, a stove, some kitchen appliances, and two dim overhead lights. The walls are decaying, with ripped and peeling wallpaper and small indents chipped away at the walls. There are crates lining the floorboards and a lumpy mattress laying on the ground with one pillow.

Steve, dressed in his suit, stalks further into the apartment, into the kitchen area.

He finds a journal sitting on top of the fridge and grabs it. There are colorful tabs sticking out on all sides, marking certain pages. He opens it and starts to flick through some pages. One page he finds a picture of him cut out and glued to the page.

Sam pipes up in his ear, “Heads up Cap. Special forces approaching form the south.”

“Understood.”

Then he feels it. Feels his presence. He turns around to find Bucky standing still near the bed. Looking at him with a blank stare.

He breaks the silence, “Do you know me?” Not knowing which Bucky he’s dealing with.

James takes a moment, “You’re Steve. I read about you in a museum.”

Sam speaks again, “They’ve set the perimeter.”

Steve moves towards Bucky, “I know you’re nervous and you have plenty of reason to be. But you’re lying.”

“I wasn’t in Vienna. I don’t do that anymore.”

“Who are you talking to babe? And don’t do what honey bear?” A female voice calls out.

Steve’s attention is drawn to the woman stepping out of the bathroom. She’s looking at Bucky like he’s her lifeline.

Even though he’s in mission mode, his first thought is she’s in rough shape but _she’s beautiful_.

She’s holding a cup of tea in her good hand, her left, as he notices the other is in a hard cast. But it instantly drops to the floor, spilling and splashing everywhere around her feet when they make eye contact. _Well with her one good eye._

Does he see recognition in her eye? Awe? Surprise? She seems to know him, but everyone recognizes him, so he doesn’t think much of her shocked reaction.

She has a purple and black shiner on her left eye that is swollen shut. But worst of all, she has badly bruised hand marks around her neck. And it looks to be several days old, if not a week. _Did Bucky cause that?_

Her wet, combed out hair hangs down past her shoulders and soaks her shirt. Her makeup-less face looks fresh and dewy from the shower. She’s short in stature and has curves in all the right places. She’s a pretty dame no doubt.

He notices Bucky moves to stand in front of her, like he’s protecting her. From what? Him? _Ridiculous._

And she lets him. Lets him be close, touch her with the lightest of touches. _This is an interesting development._

_And who is she to him?_ So many questions. And no time. Every possible law enforcement is coming to get Buck and they aren’t taking him alive.

Now he’s gotta get them both out of there, alive, as she’s obviously of much importance to his best friend. _And soulmate._

He can tell Buck is scared for her, he knows what’s coming, maybe that’s why he’s protecting her. _Does she know too?_

Steve sees her look up to Bucky, pleading him for something. He must ease up as she smiles kindly to him and brings his flesh hand up to her lips to kiss it.

She then steps forward a few cautious steps, staring deeply at him with hope and wonder. She locks in on him, sweetly accepting her reality. Her shy, dreamy smile taking over.

She says with amazement and her eyes pooling with tears waiting to spill over, “Hi Captain.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Things got very interesting this chapter. Let me know your thoughts :)


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What will happen next for the soulmates? How will CW affect their relationship?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay a quicker update than usual! 
> 
> Let the drama begin...can't wait for this bumpy ride. 
> 
> Thank you for all the comments! They were incredibly supportive and have given me lots of confidence moving forward, so thank you so much :) 
> 
> Enjoy!

_Steve sees her look up to Bucky, pleading him for something. He must ease up as she smiles kindly to him and brings his flesh hand up to her lips to kiss it._

_She then steps forward a few cautious steps, staring deeply at him with hope and wonder. She locks in on him, sweetly accepting her reality. Her shy, dreamy smile taking over._

_She says with amazement and her eyes pooling with tears waiting to spill over, “Hi Captain.”_

~~

Steve looks at this beauty of a dame for a prolonged moment, taking in her gentle, soft presence. But he hasn’t lost sight of what’s about to go down. He still has a job to do, has a responsibility to fulfill.

“Sam, we’ve got a civilian here. Female, unarmed, and badly injured.”

“WHAT?! A civ?! C’mon man!” Sam detests.

“Sam. _Stop. _Call Hill _right now_ for an extraction.” He doesn’t want this dame getting mixed up in their business.

He sees Bucky nod at him in acknowledgment. Silently thanking him for having a solution.

Sam sighs, “You got it Cap.”

Sam whispers without realizing the com picks up what he says, “The things I do for his _old ass_.”

Steve scoffs at his petulant comment. Sam always has a way with words. But he's loyal to a fault. So he has to respect that.

Emmie doesn’t know what to make of the Captain’s words. _And who is he talking to?_ He seems to be talking into mid air but is seemingly having a conversation with someone named Sam? _Weird._

But Bucky confirmed it’s him, their Steve, when she walked out of the shower. _It’s really him. He’s here._

Once he stops talking, Emmie gets the courage again and continues her slow, tentative steps forward as she gazes sweetly up into Steve’s eyes. She’s utterly breathless. She just got her James back and now this? Now she gets both of them, together, at once, within 12 hours?!

She can’t take her eyes off his, it’s like she’s being swallowed whole by the depths of his blues.

She says before she can stop herself, “Holy hell, I don’t think I’ve ever seen baby blues like yours before.” She giggles as a few happy tears fall down her cheeks. She brings her good hand to wipe the tears away quickly.

Steve doesn’t know what to do. Here’s this woman looking at him like he’s the solution to all her problems, like he’s an angel descending from heaven, like he’s the most wonderful thing she’s ever laid eyes on.

His eyes are scrunched together under his helmet as he steals a glance over to Bucky, asking for any clues or answers about what’s going on. Bucky eventually smirks and crosses his arms over his chest.

He’s gonna let Steve sweat a little and have him figure it out on his own.

But deep down, he’s just as anxious as Steve. He hopes Steve is just as happy as he was when he found out.

Emmie’s only a foot away from the Captain now. He’s holding his breath as he looks down at her expectantly. He towers over her, and usually his height and stature would intimidate her, but she automatically feels safe around him. He has this protective aura around him.

She’s too nervous to touch him, as he seems a little bit on edge and she doesn’t want to make things worse for him. To steel her own nerves, she rubs her good hand down her pant leg to try to calm herself.

She lets out a shaky breath before she starts, “Uh, sorry about that. Hot stuff over here failed to mention how beautiful you are. I just got caught up in your…eyes.” She looks down and blushes. _Can she do this?_

She turns back to James, pleading for help. For encouragement. And he answers, coming in clutch as he always does. She can always rely on him.

He lowers his arms and walks over to Emmie, with an easy-going half smile. He stands behind her and puts his hands on her waist, far away from any injury she has, and squeezes gently. He feels and sees her visibly relax under his touch, as she lets her head fall back onto his chest. He leans down to kiss her temple and she hums in response.

Steve can hear Bucky whisper into her left ear, “You got this doll.” Another kiss right behind her ear. “I gotchu baby, I gotchu.”

_Who is this dame?! _He hasn’t heard Bucky call a dame _doll_ in decades.

Steve gets his answer when she starts talking again. She’s still in Bucky’s hold but standing up straighter. She levels her head as she catches his gaze again.

“You don’t know who I am, but I know you. Well…briefly, from the few details Jame—I mean Bucky has told me.” She turns up to Bucky and looks genuinely apologetic, “Sorry honey bear, it might take me a few days to adjust. I promise I’ll get it right.”

“It’s alright babygirl, you’re perfect, I promise.” Bucky leans down to kiss her good cheek.

She closes her eyes at the feeling of his hair bristling against her face and smiles happily at his touch. Steve’s never seen Bucky be this soft and caring with a dame. _Ever._

And Steve does everything in his power to hold back his smile.

“Okay okay, back on track, for real this time…” Emmie huffs out a breath, “My name is Emmie. I promise I don’t normally look like this. I like to think I can clean up decently well. But I’m just incredibly accident prone.” She blushes and takes her arm with the cast and runs it up and down her torso showcasing her mangled body.

He can hear Bucky scoff at her last comment, like he knows the real reason behind her injured body. He’ll figure that out another time.

“I met Bucky here,” she touches Bucky’s hand on her hip, “back in March, he’s been the most loyal customer for a while at my Auntie’s farm stand. And turns out…he’s more than just a loyal customer to me.”

Emmie gingerly pulls out a gold dainty chain from under her shirt that hangs around her neck. She holds the chain in her good hand and in her palm, rests a very familiar looking pineapple pendant.

Steve’s breath hitches and he looks between Emmie and Bucky. And back again. And back again once more.

That’s when he also sees the red star on her wrist. The same red star on Bucky’s arm. She really is _theirs._

Bucky smugly smiles knowing Steve has figured it out and Emmie giggles. Bucky kisses her hair.

She whispers, “Does this look familiar to you…Steve?”

He nods in bewilderment. The way she says his name makes his heart clench. She’s right here, right in front of him. After all this time…_she’s here_.

“Good. And I see you wondering where your mark is. Yours sadly is covered up by this heinous cast on my wrist. But it’s there.” She whispers tenderly, “It’s just as beautiful as you.”

Steve closes the space between Emmie and him and he cups her cheek delicately as his eyes glisten. He holds her gaze for a moment, soaking in the adoration in her eye, and admiring all her beautiful facial features, underneath the swelling and discoloration. He can feel himself getting choked up. _Only took them almost 100 years…_

He breaks eye contact with her and looks above her head to Bucky. A knowing smile breaks out on both their faces.

“You-you found her Buck?” He stutters out.

“The other way around.” Bucky smiles warmly.

Steve’s hand on her cheek moves down to her hip, where it overlaps with Bucky’s. He pulls her closer to his chest and keeps reminding himself that this isn’t a dream. She’s real and right in front of him.

Emmie can tell he’s shocked. She lets out another soft laugh as her good hand warily moves up to rest on his chest. She can feel his heart beating rapidly, right out of his chest. “Hi soulmate. It’s nice to finally meet you.” She blushes.

Steve rests his forehead on hers, feeling a mixture of disbelief, wonder, and happiness. Their warm breaths mix together as they soak each other in. “Hi sweetheart.” He gulps at the feelings rising up, “I’ve waited a long time for you.”

Emmie purrs at his pet name. She likes how it sounds coming from him. She’ll absolutely be his sweetheart.

She slides her hand from his chest to his cheek and pulls his face down so she can kiss his cheek. When they make eye contact again, Steve’s cheeks are as red as parts of his uniform.

“You know…I’ve always loved a man in uniform. You look very dashing Captain.” Emmie and Steve both blush. It’s like word vomit of all her feelings, she can’t believe she’s telling him this all within five minutes of meeting him. _What’s gotten into her?_ She wasn’t this forthcoming so quickly with Bucky.

Steve brings her injured wrist up to his face. He places a kiss on the inside of her wrist, somehow knowing exactly where his mark under the cast. He exhibits the same amount of gentleness that Bucky has shown her from day one. Emmie can feel the tears bubble up. _This man._

She feels Bucky’s lips on her neck, leaving a gentle trail of feather light kisses where the bruising is still present.

Emmie is overwhelmed by the touch and presence of both her soulmates. She’s finally together with them, and meeting them has been better than anything she could have ever envisioned.

“Is this real? One of you pinch me please?” Emmie thinks out loud.

“I’m askin’ myself the same thing sweetheart.” Steve speaks breathily above her lips as he holds her face steady in his large, muscular hands.

As if Steve completely forgot the reason why he was there in the first place, Sam’s voice over his com piece in his ear breaks his reverie. “They’re entering the building.”

Steve sharply looks up to Bucky. His face stern and slightly panicked. “Buck…”

Bucky heard Sam’s words, but can also sense the impending invasion. He knows what’s about to happen. And he’s _pissed._ “I _know._” He says angrily.

Steve releases Emmie’s face and takes a startlingly step backwards. “Well the people who think you did are coming here now. And they’re not planning on taking you alive.”

“That’s smart. Good strategy.” Bucky says without missing a beat.

"_What?!_" Emmie panics visibly. She can't live a life without James in it now. They can't take him away from her!

Gently yet quickly, he turns Emmie around in his arms, so she’s facing him.

He knows they should have escaped while they could, but Emmie needed that moment with Steve. He needed one moment of peace with all three of them before it was going to be taken away. And who knows for how long.

“…James? Steve? What’s going on?” Bucky can feel the fear vibrate through her entire body. She picked up on that sudden shift too and he knows she isn’t going to handle this well.

“_Amelia_,” Bucky says firmly. He can see the instant stiffness take over Emmie and he hates it. He hates how he’s causing her stress and fear. He knows what him saying her birth name means to her.

Emmie holds onto his jacket like her life depends on it. She sees the panic in his eyes. She can hear the scuffling of several pairs of feet up and around the small apartment. _Something bad is about to go down._

“Remember what I told you last night?” Emmie warily nods. “This is it. My past is catching up to me doll. It’s happening now.”

Emmie tries to reassure him and implores, “It’s okay, we can get through this together.”

Bucky denies her, “This isn’t something I want you involved in. Steve and I will do everything we can to get you out of this alive, but that might mean we could get separated for a while.” He says regretfully.

“No! No no, I can’t live without you. Please don’t leave me!” Emmie is straight up begging. She can feel the streaks of tears racing down her cheeks. Why does this always happen to her?!

She just got him back and now he’s saying he will have to leave again? _This is some sick joke._

“Amelia!” He yells to get her attention but sees her flinch. He regrets yelling but this is a live or die situation right now. He can see the tears budding at her eyelashes. He _hates_ seeing her cry. But he powers on.

“This isn’t up for negotiation. These people are coming after _me_ for everything I’ve done. I need to protect you at all costs. So, I need you to do everything that Steve and I tell you, okay?”

Emmie resigns. She knows she isn’t going to win this fight. After what she learned last night, the forces he’s fighting against are the worst that evil can conjure up. She knows her place right now and that he’s doing his best to protect her and get them out of this. And even though he might seem strong and ready for battle right now, she knows he’s terrified.

She places both her hands up to his cheeks as she shakes with more tears falling from her red, puffy eyes. She knows she’s on borrowed time, so every word counts. “You fight like hell, you hear me? You do whatever it takes, whatever you have to do to stay alive and come back to me okay. I’ll wait as long as it takes. Do you understand?” She ordered with conviction.

Bucky is on the verge of tears. But he has to stay strong for her. _What did he do to deserve this dame?_

He nods vigorously. _How could he say no to his best girl?_

“You are my everything. I love you so damn much James.” She leans up for the most searing and lingering kiss they’ve ever shared. Full of adoration but also saying goodbye, full of longing, fear, concern, and regret.

He breaks the kiss and she’s breathing heavily. He kisses her forehead for the last time, then looks down at her with promise. “I’ll see you soon babygirl.”

Sam speaks up , “They’re on the roof, I’m compromised.”

Steve pulls Emmie away from Bucky’s hold aggressively to get her away from the door so he can protect her. Bucky lets him but he doesn’t like it. The only way to best protect Emmie is if he does it himself.

But that isn’t in the cards for today. He’s going to have to relinquish some trust to Steve to get her out.

She stands with her back against Steve’s front as he holds his shield in front of her body. She can feel how hard his body is, every muscle stiffening, waiting for the impact of a fight. He moves her around like she weighs nothing, and she holds onto his forearms tightly for stability.

“I’ll hold you to that hot stuff.” Emmie needs to be strong for him too. After what he told her last night, this is not something he wants to face either. She winks up at her favorite brunette to give him some hope and confidence that everything will be alright.

Bucky breaks eye contact with his best girl. “Hide her.” Bucky demands. His face going blank.

“This doesn’t have to end in a fight, Buck.”

Emmie sees Bucky pull off the glove on his left hand. He stretches his metal fingers out as she can hear the whirring and clicking of his arm. Her heart begins to beat out her chest. If she thinks how this will pan out, she’s nervous. For him. She’s nervous she’s going to lose him after this.

“It always ends in a fight.”

She’s never seen him fight before. She knows he can handle his own, but it’s her job to worry. She doesn’t want to see him hurt. She can’t lose him. Either of them.

She’s nervous to see this side of him, that he might recede back into himself if he does something out of his control, that will plague him with guilt. That he might be ashamed to be around her if she sees this dark side of him.

Sam informs over the coms, “Five seconds.”

Steve’s getting angry and irritated. His grip on Emmie tightens unconsciously and she winces at the touch. He brings Bucky’s attention back to their conversation before Emmie came in. “You pulled me from the river. Why?”

“I don’t know.”

Sam says flatly, “3 seconds.”

Emmie’s watching the two go back and forth, like she’s watching a tennis match. And her neck and head aching from the quick movements.

“Yes, you do.”

Sam yells, “Breach! Breach! Breach!”

Out of Steve’s periphery, he sees a can hurdle through the glass window. He shoves Emmie behind him near the refrigerator, in time for him to deflect the explosive can before it bursts.

Then another can flies through the neighboring window near Bucky and he kicks it along the floor for Steve to place his shield on top before it detonates.

What Steve fails to notice is that Emmie is now lying on the floor, blood seeping from her right ear and a few other parts of her head. But the worst part is she’s not moving.

A third can plunges through the last window near his bed and as Bucky raises his mattress to block the blast, he sees his girl. Lying on the floor, still as a statue. He can’t breathe. _Not again._

It’s dejavu, in the worst way imaginable.

“AMELIA!” Bucky yells in agony.

Steve turns around to see his soulmate lying on the ground, blood surrounding her head. He realizes that _he did that._

Steve is paralyzed, _how did he let this happen?!_ His blood boils, in anger and frustration at himself. All he is doing is making things worse.

Bucky speaks up again, in pure rage, “I swear to god if she isn’t alive, I’m going to kill you 10 times over.”

Steve swiftly plops down to her form and checks for any signs of life. “She’s got a pulse.”

“You’re a lucky son of a bi—"

They’re interrupted by clanging and banging on the apartment front door. Reinforcements are here and they are surrounded from all angles.

In his frustration, Bucky single-handedly flings his table through the air and it catches in the small hallway leading to his door, blocking the entrance.

Then two armed law enforcement officers swing and crash into the apartment. Bucky takes out one with a single punch. The other one near Steve turns his assault rifle and points it at Bucky.

Steve literally pulls the rug out from under him and just in time. The bullets fly across the ceiling and everywhere around the apartment. Steve rushes the guard and pushes him back where he came from, back out the window.

And that’s when Emmie comes to and she immediately let’s out a silent scream in pain.

She snaps awake and feels this burning pain in two spots in her right leg. One in her calf and one in her thigh. She reaches down with her right hand to feel for anything, because her sight is all disoriented and fuzzy, and what she can briefly identify on her fingers is blood. Lots of blood. Her cast and fingers are dripping with blood. _Is it her blood?_

She grunts in pain as she works to sit herself up with the minimal energy she has but her failed attempt at moving catches both men’s attention.

Bucky rushes to her side instantly, “No! Amelia, babygirl. _Fuck. _I gotchu baby. I gotchu.” He grabs another rag off the counter and holds it to her bullet wound in her thigh. The one where she’ll lose more blood from. But it barely does anything as it quickly is becoming drenched in her blood.

He holds her upper body to his chest as he brings his flesh hand up to her cheek, and lightly pats her left cheek to keep her attention.

When Bucky speaks, Emmie notices she can only hear from one ear. Her left. And partially at that. Somehow, Bucky speaks into her left ear, knowing this.

“Stay with me Amelia, don’t you dare close your eyes. Let me see those favorite eyes of mine.”

All he gets in response is a groan. But her eyes don’t open, her head is drooping quickly.

There’s more law enforcement coming so they need to hide her. Hopefully no one besides them has realized there’s another person with them. Someone as significant as her, as their soulmate. No one can know she’s alive, exists really.

Steve speaks into his com, “Sam! Status on Hill?”

“She’s on her way. Gonna be a few hours.”

“The civilian took several hits. She’s not doing too well. Hill needs to hurry.” Steve says impatiently.

“Why so persistent? She’s just a female civ.”

Steve takes a breath, afraid of saying the words out loud and cursing Emmie into meeting her fate. “Sam…it’s her.”

“What the hell do you mean _it’s her?_ Is that some cryptic shit for someth—”

“_It’s her.”_ Steve urges again tenaciously.

There’s a quick pause, “You’ve got to be kidding me right now! Of all the days, today had to be the day?!”

“Sam, I don’t have time for this. I just need to know if she’ll be taken care of.”

Sam groans on the other end, “Nat is gonna _love_ this. But I’ll make sure she keeps watch over things until Hill gets here.”

“Update Hill. She needs extra security protocols. Someone _will_ come for her.”

“On it.”

“Thank you.”

Bucky doesn’t have any places to hide her, but the kitchen will have to do. One of those cabinets will fit her. Bucky starts to move her under the sink. She groans weakly in pain. “Sorry doll.” He whispers to her softly.

He props her in a sitting position where her back is against the side of the cabinet and her legs are stretched out in front of her. Her head lobs to the right side once he lets go of her. She wants to make sure she can hear him. Even if she has to strain to hear every word. His voice calms her.

Bucky makes quick with the last dish towel and makes a tourniquet on her leg to hopefully slow the bleeding until help arrives.

Bucky reaches for her good hand and places it down on the rag against her bullet wound. “I need you to hold this tightly, alright? I need you to stay alive for me.”

“Mmmmm,” Emmie replies.

Bucky knows they need to leave, but he doesn’t want to leave her in this state. But if they bring her with, she’s going to be closer to death. He holds back a sob, he can't let his emotions overtake him right now.

“Just like you said, I’ll fight for you but you gotta fight for me too. Got it babygirl?”

Emmie struggles to give her best response yet. She nods her head slowly and opens her eyes halfway to see her favorite brunette. “Love you James.”

Bucky finally releases a sob and leans forward to kiss her forehead. Steve makes his way where he’s peering over Bucky’s shoulder, looking down at his newfound soulmate. As about to be gone as quickly as he met her. But he knows he will find a way back to her. He knows he'll find her again. 

And he can't even think of the prospect of her not making it. It's not even a possibility for him. Hill will get to her in time and she will get better. _She has to._

Emmie sees the shape of another man next to her James, and sees some blonde hair, piecing it together where she recognizes him as her Steve.

There’s a constant ringing in her ears and it feels like her right ear is clogged. And also simultaneously it feels like it’s leaking something.

Steve starts to speak but she doesn’t understand why his lips are moving but there’s no sound matching the obvious words being spoken. It’s worse than when Bucky was speaking. Less noises, more silence.

She brings her head up straight to try to look at him head on to see if that will help with her hearing but it falls to the other side. Her good ear pressed against her shoulder, impeding her hearing, as she finally realizes.

All she gets out of it is words here and there, that she thinks she hears from her left ear. But none of it is making sense.

_Rescue. Hill. Run. _And then some random, jumbled numbers. She hears an 8, 2, 7, 9 and a few others she can’t figure out, and she isn’t sure if that’s the right order.

His voice is drowned out by the stabbing pain in her head. She has never felt something like this before. It feels like the side of her head is going to fall off and that she will be without a piece of her brain, a piece of her head.

Everything seems to be swirling around and it’s making her dizzy.

She doesn’t understand where she is, what is happening, why she can’t function or hear anything coherently. And she just wants the pain to stop.

But suddenly everything starts to slowly wind down when something blocks the light from coming in. She hears a click and she’s surrounded by darkness.

Her two boys don't seem to be near anymore. She seems to be alone, in this dark spot.

She seems to be completely enclosed in a small area. Her other senses are heightened, and the smell is not pleasant. She wants to leave, to be with her boys. But she can't move. It causes too much pain to move and she doesn't have the energy anymore, if she's being honest.

But Emmie can’t stop thinking about them.

As everything continues to fade out of her consciousness, she thinks about Bucky’s soft eyes, his brilliant smile, his kind and caring touch. Everything about him makes her smile. And Steve, he’s a pretty boy for sure. She can’t wait to see him again. And hopefully it’s soon. But something feels off and like it’s the end. _Is this it for her?_

She doesn’t even know how it happened, how she ended up like this, bleeding badly from wounds she can’t remember how she got. One minute she was engulfed in a hug between her two soulmates, the next she was lying on the ground in unbearable pain.

With her last breath before the blackness overtakes her completely, she whispers, “Love you, my boys.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts lovelies! :)


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened to Emmie? Will the soulmates find their way back to each other?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful comments! Your support means everything to me. 
> 
> I know I left it on a huge cliffhanger last chapter but there are answers in this chapter. 
> 
> Enjoy some needed fluff :)

Natasha stealthily steps over the broken-down door and the metal table lodged in the small hallway. She has her gun held straight out at shoulder level as she takes cautious steps forward. She doesn’t know what’s awaiting her in the apartment.

She takes a quick sweep over the small studio but finds no one.

"C'mon c'mon, where are you."

But Wilson told her that she was there. Probably hidden somewhere. The only viable place could be the kitchen. And the instant she peers over to the minimal cabinets, she sees a red, gooey liquid spilling onto the floor.

_Shit shit shit shit._ This is what she feared, coming to terms that she might not have made it out alive, after hearing from Wilson what went down.

Nat yanks the bottom door open and the stench of blood and gunpowder is everywhere. This poor girl is drenched in blood, and most of it seems to be hers.

She moves swiftly and pulls the poor girl out of the cupboard and lays her down on the floor. She’s not moving. Nat feels for a pulse and after a bit she thinks she’s gone but then she feels the faintest pulse in her neck. _She’s barely hanging on._

Nat starts to shake her gently, “Pineapple, you gotta wake up. I’ve got a bet to cash in on.”

No movement. Nat keeps speaking to her and puts pressure on her wounds. She says softer, terrified of having to relay this news. “_Please_ come back. Don’t make me tell Rogers the bad news.”

Nat moves her to a sitting position, hoping it circulates blood flow. She begs one last time as she slaps this girl across the cheek.

“_Please._ Don’t make me break his heart.”

Emmie is jolted awake and she slowly peeks open one eye and finds a strange, but very demur redhead holding her. Her vision is blurry, and she feels disoriented. Emmie doesn’t seem to know her, but she hopes she knows her boys. Where they are. If they're okay.

She says the first thing she thinks but coughs up some blood when she tries to speak. 

Nat pats her back gently and wipes the blood away. She whispers to herself, “_Thank god_.” She knows she can keep her alive. Hill should be here shortly anyway.

Emmie groans and tries again, “A-are my boys okay?” But she fades out as quickly as she asks her question.

_Great, she’s a sap._ Nat reassures her as she pulls her phone out and dials the first contact. “They have strong survival instincts, they’ll be okay.”

The phone only rings once and she’s met with a panicked response, “Nat?”

“She’s tough…but she’s hanging on by a thread Steve.”

Steve shudders, praising her survival. He's not sure how she did but he's glad she made it. "How bad?"

"Touch and go. Not good."

Steve whimpers to himself, "_God damn it Emmie_."

Nat smirks at the crack in his tough demeanor, "Emmie huh? Cute name for a cute girl."

Steve gives a lousy smile back, as he hears commotion starting up behind him. "I gotta go but tell her to hold on tight for me? And tell Hill thank you."

Nat didn't get a chance to respond before he cut the line.

As soon as that call ends, Hill texts her that she's a minute out. She can hear the helicopter off in the distance.

Nat talks to the limp body in her arms, "Let's get you somewhere safe, how does that sound Emmie?" 

~~

***48 Hours Later***

“…Honey bear?” Steve chortles lightly. He stares at Bucky as they sit on opposite sides of the jet.

Bucky doesn’t laugh. Call him a sap, but he loves her pet-names for him. The way Emmie says them, with such reverence, makes him feel like he’s the most important person in the entire world. And he isn’t going to let go of that feeling.

“You laugh now, but she’ll give you a few too.”

Bucky pauses, doing his best to hold back his tears. He pauses for a few more moments to gather his thoughts, knowing he needs to get this off his chest.

The past 48 hours have been harder than he expected. Getting himself out of a losing battle and staying in one piece. Fighting to see Emmie again. His adrenaline is starting to ware off, as he comes to realize the fighting is over for the time being.

Steve notices the change in his stature. His shoulders are slumped over, his head in his hands. He could tell Emmie means a lot to Bucky, but he seems to be underestimating the magnitude of their connection and relationship.

“Steve, you don’t know her like I do…she-she’s this warm beacon of light that just makes everything better. She makes me forget all of the bad, she gives me hope and god bless her, but she somehow found it in her to _love_ me.” He levels his stare at Steve, “I don’t care what it takes, I’m gonna find her and get her back. Back where she belongs.”

Steve smiles knowingly at Bucky. He can be so predictable sometimes. “Thought you might say that. Why do you think Barton and Wilson are here? Or why Nat and Hill are with Emmie?”

Bucky loses the emotionless glare on Steve and allows his wall to lower slightly, “…Wh-what did you just say?”

Steve smiles softly, not wanting to overwhelm him. He looks Bucky deep in his eyes, “Our girl made it through.”

Bucky lets out a shaky long exhale. He stands abruptly and strikes the side of the inside jet with his metal hand, carving out a fist sized dent. He places his hands on the wall with his head hanging low between his biceps, breathing heavily. He feels Steve’s hand grip his shoulder firmly.

“Why don’t we check up on her?” He states softly. “She’s at the compound in New York, under constant surveillance.” All Bucky can do is nod.

Steve turns around and speaks to Barton in the cockpit. “Put Nat on speaker.”

Clint smirks, way ahead of him. “Already dialing Cap.”

After two rings, Nat answers and her face pops up on the projected screen. “Hey you. Is the line secure?”

Clint nods. “Yup.” He pops the P at the end, knowing how important it is to keep both their locations secret.

“How’s the flight going?” Nat asks.

“Meh. Boring, until Barnes just put a hole in the wall. They’ve been brooding the whole time.”

Nat raises one eyebrow, questioning the severity of it.

Nat quickly changes the subject, “Where are they?”

Steve steps forward with Bucky hiding partially behind his stature. Nat can see the concern etched on Steve’s face. She feels for him. And Bucky. She wouldn’t want to be in their shoes, apart from their soulmate, who’s also in danger.

Nat laughs to try to lighten the mood, “Well, I might be able to help with the brooding part.”

Steve and Bucky perk up and give each other a hopeful look.

Before they bombard her with any questions, she speaks up again. “You have good timing. She woke up a couple of hours ago. She’s coming down from her meds and hasn’t stopped asking about you two.” She smirks at the boys, “Annoying…yet endearing.”

Bucky cracks at hearing this, _of course she’s asking about him. His selfless best girl._

Bucky bends over and puts his hands on his knees as he lets out a choked sob. The few tears building up released with overwhelming relief.

Steve pats his back and rubs his hand up and down his spine while Bucky collects himself.

When they both look back at the screen, they gasp in their super soldier way. Clint had disappeared to the back of the jet with a sleeping Wilson and they don’t see Nat anymore. Her screen is flipped and is showing their soulmate laying propped up on the hospital bed, with numerous IVs, and a massive protective head wrap with extra padding on her right ear. Her shiner on her eye is surprisingly better, her eye is cracked open just a small slit, which is improvement. Her right leg is being held up in the air by a sling, with gauze coverings over the two wound sections on her thigh and calf.

Her bruising from before isn’t any better and her cast is stained with blood.

Steve and Bucky are at a loss. They don’t know what to do.

Bucky wishes he could touch her through the call. He wishes he could be there to hold her in that hospital bed.

Her eyes are closed, so Bucky grabs her attention, “Hey babygirl,” he chokes out with emotion.

Emmie doesn’t look up but responds immediately, “Jamesssss.” She knows that voice anywhere.

Her voice portrays all of her excitement and happiness, even though her body is limp on the bed, and her body language is showing how tired and worn out she is.

“How are you feeling?” He gives her a warm smile.

Her eyes open and she turns so she can stare right at the screen. She squints her good eye to get a better look at her soulmate.

Nat had placed the phone in her lap and projected the screen above at Emmie’s eye level.

Emmie seems relieved, like she wasn’t expecting to see or hear from him, but looks on with a jolly smile. “I’ve had better days hot stuff.”

Bucky relaxes at the idea of how resilient she is, making jokes when she’s in that bad of shape. Just seeing her smile and her breathing is easing him immeasurably.

“Sure have, doll. I’ve missed that smile of yours.” He takes another look at her.

Emmie’s a bit out of it and doesn’t respond. She snuggles happily back into the bed, pulling the blanket up to her chin. Bucky frowns at this and asks concerned, “Doll, are you cold? Are Nat and Hill taking care of you?”

She stage-whispers, “Yes, but” Emmie puts her hand over her mouth to muffle her whisper, “Nat scares me.” The boys can hear a small snicker in the background, presumably from Natasha.

She changes course, “Wish you were here to warm me up.”

“Me too, beautiful. Me too.” Nothing would make him happier.

Something is eating away at her, but she’s scared to ask. Maybe it’s the exhaustion talking but she feels like this is all her fault. If she was better and didn’t protest against Bucky, maybe they would still be together.

She pushes aside concern for something happier. She needs to stay positive. If not for herself, then especially for him. She knows he feels guilty right now.

Her eyes are closed, Bucky can tell she’s tired. “Is Steve there too?” Hoping they are at least still together.

Steve steps forward into view and pipes up immediately with a reassuring smile, “Hi sweetheart.”

His face is pure adoration, holding all the care and kindness possible. She can’t take it and her head falls back as her eyes well up with tears. “I wish we had more time together. What a shitty first meeting. I’m so sorry. I’ve ruined everything.”

She brings her good hand to wipe the tears away. Bucky steps back to let Steve take center stage. He can sense the tension building up in his shoulders.

He works on calming her down, he can see the distress all over her body. “No, sweetheart, it’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong. If anything, I should be apologizing to you. _I_ hurt you.”

Emmie shakes her head fervently, “You _saved_ me Steve, and probably from something worse.” She takes a shaky breath, “I’m just so grateful you two made it out and you’re safe. I can’t imagine life without you two.”

And she breaks. The tears are flowing freely, and her body is shaking. Seeing her cry is soul-crushing for Steve. Bucky wasn’t kidding.

He just barely met her but feels like he’s known her for years. _Guess that’s part of the soulmate bond?_

“Sweetheart, I promise, we will come back to you. You’re our _soulmate_, we will always come for you.”

It’s those damn eyes again. Emmie actually believes him, every word he says. He’s resolute in his speaking. She replies softly, “Okay. But hurry, because I miss you already. I want to be in your arms again.”

Steve sighs, not liking having to delay their reunion. “We just have to take care of some things first.”

Emmie is on alert, “Like what? Where are you going?”

Bucky steps up beside him, placing his metal hand on Steve’s shoulder for support. “That’s not safe for you to know doll. But Steve’s friends are gonna help me.”

She pleads with Bucky, “Help how? Is it safe? Do you trust them?...Will you be okay?”

Bucky smiles, she’s always looking out for him, no matter what. She’s always putting others first. “We wouldn’t be going if it wasn’t.”

Emmie nods sadly. She’s sad she doesn’t know when she’ll see them next, but she’s so happy he’s getting the help he needs. And deserves.

Bucky can see her thinking and he needs to know what’s going through her mind. “What’s going on inside that pretty head of yours baby?”

She asks timidly, “Will I…Am I still your best girl?”

Bucky’s heart breaks. _How could she ever think that?_ She is the air he breathes; he can’t live without her. And she needs that reassurance right now.

“Babygirl, you’re _always_ gonna to be my best girl. Forever. Don’t ever doubt it.”

She whispers, “Love you.” She blows him a kiss. But as she reaches her hand out towards the screen, she crumples in pain. She quickly retracts her hand and curls up into herself in hopes of lessening the pain. Her body completely seizing up. The machines in the hospital room are now erratic, beeping loudly and faster, displaying how out of sorts Emmie is. Something is wrong.

“Nurse! Nurse! We need a nurse in here!” Hill yells out to the medical staff as she rushes to Emmie’s side. She comes into view as she starts to brush her hair out of her face and is kindly shushing her, in hopes of calming her down.

Steve and Bucky see her panting in pain, and they cringe at the site. They feel helpless, to the one person they want to help the most.

Bucky for once doesn’t know what to do. He’s so far from his girl and she’s in biting pain. But thankfully Steve steps up, commanding attention and switching into Captain mode. “Sweetheart, take a deep breath. I need you to calm down, you getting worked up won’t help—”

Emmie screams, “I’m in PAIN! I can’t _calm_ down Steve! DON’T TELL ME TO FUCKING CALM DOWN!”

Steve and Bucky didn’t know they had an audience until Wilson says to Barton, “Oh _shit_ this just got good.”

“$20 Steve loses it.”

“Why would I bet that? Of course he’s gonna lose it.”

They see a nurse come onto the screen, adding something to the IV bag, adjusting some measurements.

Steve shifts to questioning the nurse, concern over what’s going on and him not being able to be in control of the situation, “Ma’am, what are you adding? What’s going on? Why is she in pain?”

The nurse finishes and turns towards the projection, “I just added more morphine. It was time for another dose. This should help her relax in the next 10 minutes or so.”

Steve nods, “Thank you ma’am.”

She turns to Hill, “Call us again if something happens.”

Once the nurse leaves the screen, Steve looks onto his soulmate, fed up with the situation.

Steve puts his hands on his hips and sternly looks her down, “_Amelia_, you need to listen to me—”

“DON’T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL ME THAT! SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

“Sweetheart, screaming at me won’t help, but I know what will—”

“_Oh my god¸ _do you ever stop?! You’re not the one in pain right now, don’t you dare tell me how to do anything or tell me you _know everything_. Fucking mansplaining on me like an asshat!”

“Don’t you dare talk to me like that!"

Tears are rolling down her face, the pain not going away. “Fuck off Steven! And your _sweetheart_ privileges are revoked.”

Hill smirks down at Emmie while she holds her down. “Oh, you’re gonna be so good for him.”

She whimpers as another wave of pain travels through her body. She speaks in a soft, fearful, scared voice, “Where’s James? I need my James.” More tears fall from her eyes.

Steve is _fuming._ And his face is red and showing his anger. He has _never_ been talked to like that before by a woman. He can’t see her pain through his own anger.

He’s about to reprimand her once more, but Bucky finally steps up. “Steve_,_ _stop_.…I’ve got it.”

At this point, Steve is huffing and puffing, his shoulders raising and lowering aggressively with each breath. He nods and steps away towards the back of the jet. He needs to _punch_ something.

As he passes Wilson and Barton in the back, he glares at them, silently ordering them to follow him. He at least has the respect to give Bucky and Emmie their space.

When Bucky knows they’re gone, Bucky uses his most gentle and calming voice, “Babygirl, hey doll, it’s me, I’m here.”

Emmie wails at hearing his voice. “Ja-James, come back to me _please._ I _need _you. I-I ca-can’t do th-this without y-you.”

Bucky is feeling even more guilty. He can’t give her what she needs, when she needs it the most. He feels like a failure to her. But he needs any moment he can savor with her before he can’t talk to her again for a while…

“Hey hey doll, everything is going to be alright, I’ll stay right here so you can see me the whole time. I’ll talk you through it all, okay?”

Emmie looks at him, with big pleading eyes, “O-okay.”

“Sorry about Steve…he’s…stressed.” He feels horrible, Steve should not have raised his voice at her, it’s not her fault she’s in pain and struggling.

Emmie wasn’t having it, “Ya think?…Well he could have been nicer.”

Bucky gives her a teasing smile, “Yes, he could have doll. I’ll make it up to you. Just imagine I was there holding you tight.”

Emmie winces as pain stabs through her leg and bullet wounds. She pants through a few tough breaths. “I could use that right now.”

Bucky hadn’t noticed that Steve crept back near the cockpit, but is standing around the corner, ease dropping. He’s letting them have their moment. He knows he needs to be calmer with her. _He’s just terrified of losing her._

Bucky knows distraction helped him through moments of pain so maybe it’ll help his girl. “I found this puppy video where the pup was asleep and laying on her back. Her legs were in the air and were moving like they were riding a bicycle. It made me think of you.” He smiles softly at the projection.

Emmie had visibly relaxed while Bucky had been talking. Her breathing had slowed. Her eyes relaxed and closed. There was a slight smile forming.

Hill notices the changes in Emmie. “Barnes, keep talking.” She instructs him.

“Then, there was this video of these pandas just rolling down this baby hill, like they had no cares in the world. They looked so happy. It reminds me of the time when we did that on the slope near the lake.”

The beeping in the room has finally reached a steady rhythm, and Emmie looks calm. Her eyes have closed, and she has a small smile on her face.

She whispers, “Pandas are literally the cutest. Ever. Just like you.”

He sighs a huge relief, “I know.”

There’s a small lull in the conversation. And Hill has backed away out of sight. So all he’s looking at is his girl.

“I saw this one where this cat stands on his hind legs and stands straight up with his front legs extended straight up, like he’s asking for a hug. Then the owner bends over and holds the cat on her chest and the cat wraps his front legs around the human’s neck….I just about died.”

Bucky releases a sigh of relief, and speaks softly, “That sounds just like my best girl.”

“Mhm…that’s me. Can’t get enough of your big, strong arms.” Emmie relaxes further, her lip trembling. “I miss this, I miss _us._”

_God,_ he’s hurting. For her and him too. He just wants his sweet girl back. “Me too babygirl…you feel a little better now?”

Emmie thinks it over. She takes a slow breath and wiggles her fingers, rolls her shoulders. “Now that you say that, I do.” Her eyes glisten and her voice thicker, filled with emotion, “You always know what I need. You da bestest everrrr.”

She can feel the morphine start to take effect. She needs to talk to Steve before she falls asleep again. She can feel herself becoming lightheaded.

“Steveeee?”

Without any further prompting, he steps into view on the projector and stands a foot away from Bucky.

“How are you feeling?” He asks sternly. He’s calmed down but still heated over her words. Even though Wilson gave him a quick earful in the back, his frustration hasn’t eased.

“Fineeeeee.” Emmie shrugs her shoulders, slowly losing awareness of her surroundings.

Steve sighs before starting, “I’m glad you’re not in pain.” Steve can’t admit defeat to her, not in front of his team.

The morphine is really kicking in now, she’s feeling drowsy and loosey-goosey as she likes to say.

Emmie smiles sweetly, unphased by Steve, saying the first thing that comes to mind, “You’re so pretty, you know that right? You’re waaayyyyy pretty, like perfect pretty.”

Steve’s tension automatically fades and he blushes profusely, not used to getting compliments like this. But also confused. _Where did that come from?_

Bucky laughs and punches Steve in the bicep. “Oh yeah babygirl, those meds are working now.”

Emmie flails her good arm up in the air and it flops on the pillow, above her head. “Oh…don’t get me started on you handsome hunk.” Her smile has turned pure and adolescent like. “You’re taking me on a-a-a six-month vacay after this. Allll the best, private be-beaches around the world, and we can-we can...” She giggles to herself, “You can butter my muffin.”

Wilson and Barton cough and choke behind them. Wilson actually spits out his drink. And he starts laughing uncontrollably. He holds his stomach as he bends over and lets out a loud belly laugh.

Steve turns around at their reaction, “What’s so funny?”

“Watch Mean Girls.” Clint says in between chuckles.

Bucky looks at them questionably, still not understanding what just happened.

They turn at the sound of Nat’s voice. The screen only shows her now. “Emmie means she wants to do the dirty with you.” She smirks knowingly.

Bucky and Steve’s faces go beet red, flushed with embarrassment, clearly understanding Nat’s meaning. But Bucky also feels relieved that she wants to get more physical with him. They haven’t done much so far but _boy does he want to. _After he got his first taste from their tryst at his apartment, he’s only hungry for more. But then he starts to doubt himself…_was it the meds talking? Does she really mean it?_

Clint and Sam laugh even harder at how shocked they are.

Bucky ignores them, only concerned about his girl. “She asleep?”

Nat nods. “She’s safe.” She shifts her gaze directly at Bucky. “You’re really good with her Barnes. She trusts you.”

Bucky doesn’t respond, he only nods. He doesn’t want anyone creeping in on his relationship with you. That’s private.

“Thanks Nat, we’ll check back in soon.” Steve ends the call promptly.

Steve is flustered beyond belief. He has no clue what’s just happened. Emmie went from a raging angry wrath of a woman to flirting with him. Then he saw her and Bucky interact…and it’s like they’re connected on another level, more than he ever imagined. He looks up and sees Wilson, standing against the side of the jet cockily. He glares at a smirking Wilson.

“That woman must be protected at all costs. Scolding Steve like a petulant child one second and then flirting with Barnes with pop culture the next.” He shakes his head with a broader grin. “I love her already. She’ll fit right in.” He crosses his arms over his chest.

Clint has to step in between Sam and the super soldiers when they bound towards Sam with death glares. “Hey, hey, no harm no foul. She’s alive and safe, that’s what matters.”

Sam pushes his luck, “Can neither of you take a compliment?”

They don’t back down from glaring at him, Sam getting his answer. “Guess not.”

Bucky steps up and threatens the men in front of him, "If any of you speak badly about her, in any way, I'll punch your teeth all the way in where they come out your ass. Got it?"

The three guys nod in understanding that Barnes will follow through on his promise. He doesn't make empty threats.

An alarm on the dashboard and windshield pops up, informing the squad they are approaching their destination.

Sam instantly worries as they are approaching a very wooded area, and quickly. “Uh…Barton? Can we _not_ crash today please?”

“Stand down Barton. We’re on the right path.”

“But—”

The trees in front of them start to glitch and they disappear as they enter into a modern city hidden in a valley, with tall skyscrapers, waterfront, and a bustling downtown.

Bucky stands stock still looking out at his imminent future. _This is happening. Here we go..._

“Welcome to Wakanda.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you lovelies think! Thanks for reading :)


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies! Thanks again for all your support, it truly means a lot. 
> 
> This is a short chapter but a good filler for what's to come :)
> 
> Happy reading!

***Upstate New York***

Emmie wakes from the first decent sleep she’s had in the last 3 days. She got more than three consecutive hours from her nap, and she’s starting to feel like her body might make a recovery.

She hears the fast clicking and clacking of nails on a keyboard that brings her awareness further to the surface.

Emmie turns at the sound and slowly twitches her eyes open. She blinks a few times to help her sight come into focus. She sees Natasha to her left sitting in a lounge chair with a laptop propped on her lap.

Emmie takes a moment to observe Natasha. Her face blank, her eyes focused, her posture straight and rigid. The determination is intimidating but also inspiring.

“You know it’s rude to stare.” Natasha says without breaking her gaze from the screen.

Emmie jumps slightly in the bed at the intrusion of her voice. She didn’t realize her staring was that obvious.

“…sorry.”

Natasha takes another moment to finish typing something and then she suddenly slams the laptop closed. She places it on the nearby table and then she turns to face Emmie completely.

“Seems like you got some good sleep.” She plants her feet on the floor and rests her elbows on her thighs. She looks directly at Emmie and Emmie can’t figure out Natasha at all. Which freaks her out, because usually she’s good at reading body language and sensing vibes from people.

Emmie shrinks into her seat. She nods her head shyly as she tries to gather her thoughts as she remembers everything that has happened. And it _terrifies _her.

She has no clue how her world got turned upside down in a matter of minutes. She had the briefest but most sweet moment with her two boys and then they were just…_gone._

But she has to thank Natasha for helping conceal her biggest injury from the boys. They can’t find out right now, it would destroy them. She could tell over the quick video call that they had bigger and more important things on their plate to focus on than her deafness.

“Thank you for putting the live captioning on the video call. Didn’t even know that was a real thing.”

Natasha nods solemnly. “I can get you a hearing aid on your left ear since it’s only partial hearing loss but your right ear…you’ll have to forgo an aid until I find a solution for you.” Nat takes a breath to sort out her thoughts. “I’d ask Stark…but we aren’t exactly on speaking terms at the moment. And the fewer people who know about you, the better.”

Emmie closes her eyes and lets out a wobbly breath. “You’ve done so much for me already. I can take care of myself moving forward.”

Nat instantly gets very stern, “You don’t understand. You mean something to Rogers so you mean something to me now. I’m obligated to look after you now.”

Emmie can feel the emotions start to rise. Talking about her boys…thinking about what happened…not knowing if she’ll see them again? It wrecks her.

But hearing Nat’s words? She sounds like a burden already…she doesn’t want to be the cause of any further, unnecessary stress to anyone. She doesn’t want anyone to worry about her. She’s caused enough problems so far.

“You have to promise me that they can’t find out. At least not until this whole mess passes. Ja-Bucky would lose it, and-and Steve would carry that guilt forever.”

“You’ve only known Steve for maybe five minutes. Nicely done.” Nat’s impressed to be frank.

“I can tell he’s a good man.”

“…he is.” Nat doesn’t have the guts to break her spirit any further. Steve is no doubt a good man, with a distinct and righteous moral compass, but he’s an emotional mess right now. Even if he doesn’t show it. Maybe this time away from Emmie can help him get his head on straight.

Natasha continues to observe Emmie. Here’s this civilian, hardly holding it together, and has, in her opinion, been cursed with being soulmates with the super soldiers. But she’s looking at her soulmate pairings like the boys are her biggest blessing. Maybe she truly is meant for them…someone who has this silent strength, the courage to never back down (like she witnessed on the video call), and the tenacious love to never give up on someone. She could hear it in the strain of her voice, and the softness in her facial features when Barnes talked with her, calmed her down really.

She’s utterly amazed at how soft Barnes got with her. How he, without a moments’ hesitation, was so gentle and caring with her, and never once backed down. She had never seen him have the strength he showed Emmie. All she has known in his strength is brute force.

She’s tempted to give him crap for it at some point, but she knows that took a lot out of him to be that vulnerable in front of the team. Maybe he really has changed and is turning a corner.

Emmie can’t make out what’s going on inside Nat’s head. Her piercing eyes are so _intense_ and it makes her feel self-conscious and like she’s being examined under a microscope.

Emmie changes the subject. “So…so since you found me, did you win the bet?”

Emmie finally sees a twinkle in Natasha’s eyes, as she lets out a soft chuckle. “So you did hear me…well I had multiple bets.”

Emmie sits there waiting for her to elaborate but she doesn’t immediately, so she raises her eyebrows at Natasha to continue.

“2 weeks of uninterrupted vacation, a full spa weekend from Tony, new set of guns I’ve been wanting from Clint, shopping spree from Pepper, and three missions where Steve lets me take point.”

Emmie smiles, “Damn.”

Nat returns her smile, “Ohhhhh yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”

Emmie takes a risk and imposes, “Well if you want company on your spa weekend or shopping spree, let me know. My schedule’s pretty flexible.” She laughs at herself, trying to ease her own awkwardness. _Why did she just do that?! Why did she just invite herself?_

Nat smirks and takes a minute to look over Emmie, “I think we can arrange that. I could wait a few extra weeks to cash in.”

Emmie blushes. She didn’t think Nat would bite. “Th-thank you.” She takes another breath before she starts again, “You know…you’re not as scary as I first thought.”

Nat raises both her eyebrows, “That so? Well I can change that if you’d like.”

“No no. No need for that.” Emmie responds adamantly.

Nat laughs but then levels her glare at Emmie, “I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

Emmie brings her good hand and holds her pointer finger to her thumb as she draws her hand across her sealed lips, like she’s zipping her mouth closed. “Secret’s safe with me.”

“Good, because I’ve overstayed my visit. Can’t have Stark see me. Hill will take over from here. But I’ll see you soon Emmie.” Nat smirks as she stands up from her chair and grabs her laptop off the table.

Emmie needs to leave it on a light note. She raises her good hand and spreads her middle and ring finger apart forming a V, while there’s no space between her index and middle finger, and ring and pinky finger. Exactly like Spock does. She speaks up, “Live long and prosper Natasha.”

Nat roles her eyes, “You’re such a dork,” as she takes her leave.

~~

***Wakanda***

Steve and Bucky walk down the clean, modern hallway towards the lab. Steve holds his head high and walks with purpose. His back is straight, and his shoulders are taking up more space. His arms are at his side with a determined look on his face. Bucky is a step behind Steve and to his left. He walks with hesitancy but also resolve, knowing this is only option.

Bucky is conflicted. At odds with himself. He knows this is the right thing to do but he’s breaking a promise to his girl. He _left_ her there, at death’s front door. He put her in so much danger, just by being himself. And he is wracked with guilt, shame, humiliation.

But when he found out she was alive, he couldn’t be more grateful.

Emmie has quickly become his renewed purpose in this second chance at life. She loves so wholly, unapologetically, and fiercely. He doesn’t know how to process it half the time, but all he knows is that he adores her for it and is thankful to have been given an angel. He never thought he would ever meet someone like Emmie, let alone be paired by destiny. _He’s one lucky bastard._

He knew in the apartment she was frightened out of her skin, he could see it all over face. She’s absolutely terrible at hiding her emotions but her vulnerability is what gives him the strength to do what he needs to do. To heal, to recover, to rid himself of the danger that lives within him. Because he wants to live a life where he can be as vulnerable with her as she is with him. It’s the least she deserves.

But somehow, even through her obvious fear, she chose to take care of his feelings first. She chose to make sure he was alright, that he knew everything was going to be okay, to make sure he knew she would be waiting for him no matter how long it took and that she would forgive him for whatever he had to do to survive. She made sure to part from him with a laugh and smile on her face. She did everything in her power to make the goodbye as painless as possible.

He knows women like her don’t exist anymore. So he’s doing his duty to make sure she survives, and that when they can be reunited one day, with the prospect of a bright and happy future that lies beyond the horizon.

He took a massive step towards that with opening up to her on the last night they were together. He gave her as many details as he deemed was safe without endangering her life. If he would be the cause of her demise, he’d never forgive himself.

When they make their way into the lab and he’s greeted by T’Challa and Shuri, things become even more real. _This is happening. Now._

He tries to conceal the uptick in his heart rate at how quickly this is approaching. He needs to stay calm, if not for him, but for Steve. He needs to be calm for Steve to understand what needs to happen while he’s under.

As Shuri is readying the cryochamber, Bucky turns to Steve, as they stand in the corner waiting.

“There are some things you need to know about Emmie.”

“You mean Amelia?”

“_Steve_.” He says sternly. “You had no right to call her that—”

Steve butts in, “But it’s her real name right?”

“No!” Bucky is getting irritated at this point. Steve is trying to control to conversation, and he needs to get back control.

“Then why did you call her Amelia if it isn’t her name?” Bucky can tell Steve is frustrated and isn’t going to give up.

Bucky sighs, “That’s for her to tell you. Until then, you only call her Emmie.”

Steve’s lips form in a firm, straight line, as he tries to hold his tongue. He nods once as he crosses his arms over his chest, “Fine.”

“You can’t be like this with her.”

“What—”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

Steve sighs and with his right hand, pinches the bridge of his nose.

Bucky starts again, “She may seem strong and positive but inside?...She’s fragile. She’s soft and kind and gentle and she will crumble at any harshness you give her—”

“But she yelled and cursed at me over the video chat!”

“God damn it Steve! Get it through your thick skull! Your _soulmate_ puts on the bravest face every single damn day and she is _fighting for her life_ all by herself, halfway around the world right now.”

Steve has the decency to look down in shame.

“If you don’t take care of our girl, my best girl, while I’m under, or if you harm her _in any way_, I will kill you once I get out.”

Steve continues to look down at his shoes. “Understood.”

Shuri speaks up from across the room, “When you’re ready Sargent Barnes.”

He turns to her and nods at the princess.

“Don’t leave her alone while I’m under. You need to take care of her….She might not voice it but she needs you. She’s been waiting her whole life to get to know you.”

Steve finally looks up and makes eye contact with Bucky, “You have my word.”

Bucky holds his gaze and takes a moment to look into his eyes, to see if he means it, truly means it.

When he decides that he believes Steve, he takes a small envelope from his pocket. He taps the envelope a few times as he ponders over what’s about to happen and when he’ll next see his precious angel.

“Please give this to her. Tell her I’m sorry…And that I’ll come for her.”

Bucky reaches out his flesh hand with the envelope with his chicken scratch writing on the front, reading ‘_My Best Girl’. _

Steve shyly smiles as he takes the letter. “You always knew how to woo the dames Buck.”

Bucky defends his girl immediately, “She ain’t just any dame Steve. She’s my soulmate.” He levels a blank glare at Steve.

Bucky turns towards the chamber and can only take a few steps before Steve stops him by placing his hand firmly on his bicep. “I’ll look after her.”

Bucky stares decisively at Steve, “You need to tell her you kissed Sharon…and be prepared for the consequences.”

"Consequences?" What is he talking about? He wasn’t expecting that.

Steve dejectedly releases his arm and watches Bucky walk away from him. He then climbs into the chamber. 

“You ready to get fixed broken white boy?” Shuri smirks at Bucky.

Bucky responds with a half-smile and nods.

He finds Steve’s eyes for the last time. “Don’t do anything stupid before I get back…See you soon punk.”

The chamber suddenly closes around Bucky’s body and it freezes over on the inside.

“See you soon jerk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Let me know your thoughts :)


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! I hope everyone is well. Here's the next chapter, setting the story up for some drama down the line ;)
> 
> Thank you all again for the comments!
> 
> TW this chapter: reference to self harm

Six Months.

That’s how long it’s been. That’s how long it’s been since her life started over.

After about two weeks in the medical wing at the compound, Emmie was released and ready to start a slow recovery. Emmie was moved into her own apartment at the compound where Hill lived down the hall.

The only scars she has are the bullet wounds in her thigh, but those are covered easily. The other bruises and broken bones have disappeared and healed over time. She feels more like herself nowadays.

Hill was there to help her adjust to her new life and keep her safe. Eventually she got Emmie a job assisting Tony. 

Emmie knew Tony has been suspicious of Emmie being brought in suddenly without him being briefed on who she is. All Hill said is she was fulfilling a favor to someone Tony knew, but wouldn't name who. Which gave Tony a clue that it might be Steve.

Tony didn’t know how to handle Emmie most of the time because she’s _too nice_ and he doesn’t know how to act around nice people. But for the past three months, Emmie and Tony have developed an incredibly strong bond and Tony treats her as if she’s his.

Hill also briefed Emmie on some tactics on how to stay safe moving forward. She needs to change her look every few months. Hill got her new documents and changed her last name to Smith.

Emmie knows that she needs to stay as hidden as possible and stay out of the public eye. She knows she can’t go anywhere in public without Hill or Tony. She knows she can’t tell Tony who exactly she is, or how she’s related to the Captain, especially Barnes. She knows she has to continue hiding her soul marks and she knows she needs to wear her new hearing aid every day and pretend she can’t hear half of what’s said most of the time. But to make things easier on her, she's learned sign language as a backup. And she's glad she has.

She has secretly learned to utilize F.R.I.D.A.Y. to her fullest potential. When Emmie can't hear something or missed parts of a conversation, she signs to the ceiling and then a projection pops down of a woman signing back or the words typed out in a message. F.R.I.D.A.Y. has been very resourceful for Emmie.

It’s been some of the hardest months of her life, being separated from the love of her life and her soulmates, but she knows it’s temporary. Or at least she likes to think it’s temporary.

She doesn’t really have any friends and Hill isn’t the most approachable person there is but Hill is honestly all she has. So Emmie makes do with what she has. Hill is gone most of the time on work so she spends a majority of her time alone or with Tony, when he’s around as well.

She has to keep fighting to stay safe so she can see her boys again. And that’s exactly what she’s going to do.

……

Six Months.

That’s how long it’s been. That’s how long it’s been since Emmie has seen her boys.

Since the last time she was _with _her boys.

Since the last time she felt their hands hold her tenderly.

Since the last time she kissed Bucky.

Since she said goodbye. Without knowing the next time they would be reunited.

And since then? Absolutely nothing. _Nothing._ Not a peep, a whisper, a chirp. Anything.

And it might not seem like Emmie is bothered by it, but inside, she’s given up all hope. She’s frightened that she’s going to have to live the rest of her life alone. Without her soulmates. And in hiding.

_What a disappointment._

She’s been ignored, ghosted, and neglected before…but somehow this hits harder. This hurts _so much more._

And all of this is making her second guess everything. She just wishes Auntie was with her because she’d know exactly what to say. How to make her feel like everything was going to end up okay.

_Why haven’t they reached out? Did something bad happen to them? Have they changed their mind about her? Do they not want to be her soulmate anymore? Is she not good enough for them?_

And the more she thinks about it, the more frustrated she gets. It literally takes someone less than 10 seconds to send a damn text to tell her they are alive. She still doesn’t even know if they’re safe or alive.

She hasn’t seen or heard anything from Natasha either. And Hill always changes the subject when Emmie asks so she’s getting more irritated by the day. She keeps saying that the less Emmie knows, the better. But with each day with no information, the more she doesn't give a damn and doesn't care. She needs to know _something._

_Why couldn’t one of them spare 10 seconds to send a damn text?!_

She didn’t know why today she’s more testy than usual, but all of this, over the past six months, has just been building and building. Maybe it’s the added stress of being downtown in the city instead of the compound but apparently Tony needed to be in his lab here. Or maybe it’s the impending holiday season rapidly approaching. Either way, _she’s an emotional mess._

Emmie’s on her way to bring Tony his second cup of coffee when she’s just had enough of her boys and the incessant overanalyzing that she loses it. She chucks Tony’s steaming mug at the glass window overlooking midtown Manhattan. The black coffee is dripping down the glass while the shattered ceramic pieces of the mug litter the floor.

Tony actually jumps at the crashing sound paired with her shrilled scream. He didn’t hear her at all enter the lab, he was so zoned in on his project.

He chucks his glasses off onto the counter and walks slowly over to Emmie. He sees her breathing heavily and her shoulders shaking. Her fists are clenched at her sides. He has never seen her lose her cool like this.

Emmie always keeps him calm, cool, and collected. She’s become this safe, peaceful harbor he can reside in where he knows he’s protected from his demons that are lurking around. He knows it’s cliché, but she’s become his saving grace at this point in his life.

“Uhhh….Starburst? You okay there?” Tony asks, but makes sure to keep his distance still, not wanting to make matters worse by crowding her.

Emmie’s heartbeat is in her ears until she hears Tony’s voice break through. She completely forgot he was there for a moment.

His tentative questioning and the concern laced in his voice causes her to break. She feels a few tears start to run down her cheeks and she just gives in, hoping Tony isn’t freaked out by now.

She shakes her head forcefully, knowing it’s useless trying to hide anything from Tony because he’s the type of person to just push your buttons until you break so she’s just bypassing a lot of annoyance.

Emmie rushes to wipe the tears away from her face and then shakes her hands at her side as she releases a shaky exhale.

“Ugh I’m sorry Tony, I shouldn’t be bringing this energy into the lab—”

“Stop that. Something’s bothering you. Spill.” Tony takes a few more steps closer to Emmie and notices her relax as he approaches her.

Emmie sighs and leans her head back, eyes looking at the ceiling. She closes her eyes closed as a few more silent tears fall. “I-I can’t tell you.”

Tony finally stands right in front of Emmie. He places his hands gently on her biceps and runs slowly, up and down trying to calm her down.

“I’ve been told I’m good at keeping secrets.”

Emmie lets out a wet, choked laugh. “Bullshit Tony, you’re absolutely terrible at that.”

Tony half smiles, “It got you to laugh though.”

Emmie wipes more tears from her blotchy cheeks, “You’re the best boss I’ve ever had Tony, really.”

Tony groans, “Oh no you don’t. Your sap is gonna make me sick.”

Emmie leans in to hug her boss tightly. She speaks into his ear. “You love it.”

Tony pulls back to look at Emmie, “No one will believe you.” Emmie shrugs her shoulders knowing he’s right.

“Stop trying to distract me. Now tell me what’s going on with you. I can’t have my favorite employee being all sad.”

“Tony—”

“Emmie, you’re family at this point. I look at you, like…well you’re mine.” He steps a half step back and straightens his right arm out in front. In a terrible British accent, “I officially dub thee,” he taps once on your left shoulder, then he moves his arm to tap the right shoulder, “officially part of the Stark family.”

Emmie is full on laughing now, her cheeks hurting slightly from the broad smile she has plastered on face. “Yay!” She fist pumps but stops, realizing what Tony just said.

“Does…does that mean I can take the chopper whenever and anywhere I want?”

“Duh.” He rolls his eyes. “Where do you wanna go?” He pauses as he sees her smirk. She needs a distraction right now and he'll give her just that. “Pancakes at Silver Lining?”

All Emmie can do is nod her head excitedly.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. get the chopper fired up. And cancel my day…We’re going to the Hamptons.”

~~

Emmie knew Tony knew that she was deflecting all morning and over pancakes. That she was avoiding his not so subtle looks and his questions. Tony sat to her left and gave her a small reprieve on the way back as he was typing away on his tablet and had a few phones calls to take care of.

She contemplates how to confront him as she leans her head against the window and looks out below, overlooking the oceanfront.

Being in the chopper has become one of her favorite places to escape. She feels like she’s gliding over the ocean, over the tiny specs of homes, people, cars that travel beneath her.

She knows he’s been patient with her the past six months, so maybe it’s time she owns up. Maybe it’ll help her feel lighter and the ability to breathe a little bit.

Emmie brings her hands into her lap and speaks softly. “I um…I met my soulmate back in March. Didn’t realize it at first but once the truth came out…he…he’s…the most incredible man I’ve ever met.” Tony puts down his tablet and she has his entire attention. This is the most she’s opened up to him since he met her.

Emmie shakes her head as tears bubble up, “He comes off as this rough and tough guy, but underneath, he’s the biggest teddy bear. He’s sweet and caring and funny and god is he a _good kisser_—”

“Ooooo tell me more Starburst.” He wiggles his eyebrow suggestively.

Emmie turns to him and slaps his leg playfully. “Stop that Tony.”

He puts his hands up in defeat, “Fine fine.”

“As I was saying…best few months of my life with him. And then one day I met my second soulmate. For only like five seconds because then they both suddenly got a notice from the military and…got deployed. Haven’t heard or seen from them since. And-and I’m a bloody fucking mess.” The tears are flowing freely now, and Emmie’s head drops forward towards her chest.

“Woah woah woah, hold up now, you mean to tell me you have _two_ soulmates?” Tony knows Emmie is feeding him some lies about who these soulmates are but he's going to keep that to himself. He'll focus on other aspects and do some digging later.

Emmie cries harder, “Not you too…”

“I was gonna say that’s badass…never met someone who has two.” _Which is true._

She cradles her head in her hands. And that’s when Tony sees the tape around her wrists. _No…._

She speaks into her hands, “That’s _all_ you got from that?!”

Tony’s heart is breaking. Seeing people he loves cry is crushing him. He moves out of his seat and kneels in front of Emmie. She peeps her eyes out in between her fingers.

He asks hesitantly, “I could always find them for you. Get a way for you to contact them.”

Emmie is shaking her head sadly. “There’s no way. They are like super high up in like black ops or something.” She’s surprised at how easily the lies are rolling off her tongue.

“Kid, it’s not a problem for me, I used to basically own the military—”

“They don’t want me! They don't wanna talk to me, don’t you get it?!”

Emmie is panting as she screams at Tony. He leans back a little, shocked at seeing her unraveling in font of him.

Tony stands up and sits next to her, pulling Emmie into his side and he hugs her tightly. He shushes her and places a loving kiss on her forehead.

He whispers into her hair, “If they don't want you, then they are idiots. They don’t deserve you Starburst. They don’t deserve you at all.”

Emmie sobs more and clutches to Tony. She holds him even tighter as he tears soak his neck and shirt collar.

“I’m not gonna let them hurt you Starbust.” He pets her hair for a few more moments. “But I need to ask…did they cause you to…?” He pushes down her sleeve and softly taps the tape on her right wrist. Right above the shield.

Emmie leans back so she can look him in the eyes. Her eyebrows pinch together in confusion at his question. But her eyes travel to her tape and back to him once more. Then it clicks…_wow_, she did not expect things to progress like this. She wouldn’t hurt herself. _At least not on her wrists._

“Oh-oh my god Tony, I promise it’s not what it looks like.”

“Then what is it?” He asks persistently.

Emmie sighs, “It’s…it’s my soul marks…they-they told me I’m safer if the marks are covered.”

“Would you let me see them?” He asks softly.

Emmie retracts her arms close to her chest and shrinks in on herself. “No!”

“Please trust me Starburst, _please._”

“I can’t with this. Please understand _that._”

Tony takes a moment to process it all. She is choosing to or _can’t _tell him. Either demonstrates that who she’s paired up with are two men who are super high profile or they’re associated with dangerous people or have enemies that are even worse. _Or all three._

Whoever they are, he can tell she’s going to protect them with her life. Which he can respect. And he knows that because he’s already seen her loyalty to him.

“Are…are you hiding from someone?”

Emmie nods, almost like she’s ashamed of it.

“And that explains the different hair every eight weeks?”

He tugs a strand of her auburn and orange ombre hair and twirls it around his finger.

“…you caught onto that, huh?”

Suddenly, he gets this brilliant idea. He knows how to solve this problem. How to protect her. Safely. And on her own terms.

He smiles excitedly at her, “Starburst I just had the best idea.”

He doesn’t continue so Emmie presses, “Sooo you gonna tell me this grand idea or not?”

“I’m gonna make the best skin cover for your soul marks.”

“Fine, but I’m still changing my hair. I’ve come to like the fun colors.”

He pushes the few strands of hair behind her left ear and that’s when he finally notices the small hearing aid. _Hearing aid?!_ How did it take him six months to notice that?!

“Okay seriously how the hell did you hide a hearing aid from me all this time? How much of your hearing is impaired? Is it just your left ear?”

_Damn_, she wanted to hide that from him for a little bit longer. She sighs, “Woah slow down Tony. I’m partially deaf in my left ear and…and…lost all of my hearing in my right…”

“And I’m gonna guess you won’t tell me how this happened? Were the soulmates involved?”

“How do you always know everything? Ugh.” Emmie wipes a few more tears from her cheeks.

“I mean I am a genius. But this explains why you’re always on my right. You’re smarter than you look.”

“Uhhhh…thanks?” Emmie doesn’t know if that’s a compliment or not.

“You’ve made my day Starbust, now I’ve got two new projects to work on. You're always keep me on my toes.”

And she finally gives him the slightest smile, feeling relief with telling Tony about her soul marks and her hearing impairment. Somehow, she feels like she can tackle more than she believes having opened up about these and that she will eventually be okay. Thank god she can always rely on Tony.

~~

The following day feels lighter for Emmie. She's been in the city at the tower with Tony the past few days and it might be the city giving her a little pick me up. She wakes up feeling relieved and like she can actually start moving on from that fateful day with her soulmates.

Emmie has an extra pep in her step as she’s on her way to Tony’s favorite coffee spot to grab his usual order. She’s running a little late this morning because she was so excited to get the day started. She didn’t realize her morning dance party lasted so long.

As she rushes around the corner, she doesn’t notice a certain blonde archer watching her every move, never taking his eyes off her.

Steve asked Clint to look over Emmie a few weeks ago and for the past week, he’s been doing just that. Following Emmie every day, observing where her regular stops are, where she frequents often, basically figuring out her daily schedule and seeing how safe she really is.

This morning is like any other, where she tucks her peacoat closer to her chest as the breeze strikes colder than the previous day and she goes to the local boutique coffee shop to grab her usual order. He sticks to the shadows as he follows her into the shop. He’s come to like their strong black coffee, getting himself two cups every day.

But this morning is abnormally busy. And _extra _loud.

It’s the day before Thanksgiving and everyone seems to be in a rush before the holiday weekend. Emmie is anxious as she stands in line, tapping her foot quickly and looking down at her phone every five seconds. He knows she’s in a rush as she left the tower later than usual. And he knows how impatient Tony can be.

He takes his spot in line right behind her and as she moves forward a few steps, an ambulance whizzes by and her head turns quickly at the sound. Her hair is pinned up in a tight ballerina bun and that’s when he sees it. It’s faint, but a prominent scar around her right ear. _How did that happen?_

When she makes her way to the cash register, she has to lean closer to the counter and speak above the loud chatter in the shop. She asks the cashier to repeat herself three times but the cashier is speaking at an appropriate volume. And he realizes what’s happening. She can’t hear. And it's time for him to introduce himself and make his presence known. Nat didn't tell him this part about Emmie and Steve's orders of keeping his distance be damned.

Clint steps up to Emmie at the counter and taps her shoulder to get her attention. She turns and scrunches her eyebrows in questions.

Clint starts to sign, _I saw you struggling…I’m sorry to ask but do you need help ordering?_

Emmie’s eyes go wide and she’s feeling a mix of embarrassment but also relief. Was she that obvious?

She attempts to sign back, _Yes I am, sorry to keep you waiting. I left my hearing aide at home._

Clint smiles warmly, _No worries. Can I order for you? It’ll be my treat._

Emmie replies, _Oh I couldn’t let you. But thank you._

Clint takes the initiative without her permission. She speaks loud enough for Emmie to hear. “I’ll take two black coffees, one black coffee with 2 extra shots of espresso and a chai tea latte to go.”

_How the hell did he know her order_?! Emmie thinks to herself. 

She stares at this stranger with wary and confusion, not knowing his intentions. _Could this be Hydra? Is she in trouble? Fuck fuck fuck._

Clint can see her beginning to panic. The uptick in her breathing, the increase in her heart rate, her wide eyes and her heaving chest.

She backs away towards the door as Clint follows her every step cautiously.

He makes sure he has her eye contact when he signs, _I’m a friend of Nat’s._

_Why isn't she here then with you?_

_She's working._

Emmie doesn’t budge, _Prove you're friends with her._

He knows she knows about the bet. _I owe her a set of new guns she’s been eyeing because she found you and Steve owes her three missions to run point. You asked to go shopping with her and to join the spa weekend._ He continues, _I know she rescued you in Bucharest._

Emmie doesn’t make any move closer to this strange man. He could be lying. She can't take any chances.

It’s freaking her out he knows this because Hill told her that there are only a select few people on this planet know that information, which included Hill, Nat, and the boys. But he seems to want to make peace. She’ll make an effort.

_Who are you?_

_The name’s Clint._

The barista calls out Clint’s order, but Emmie doesn’t hear. He holds up his finger to ask her to wait for a minute as he grabs the trays of drinks.

When he comes back to her, he motions with his head to an open table in the corner. She follows him carefully, still worried she’s in trouble. But the fact he’s signing with her and not pointing a gun to her head is a win so far.

They stare at each other as they sit at the small table. Emmie breaks the silence, _Did Nat tell you I lost my hearing?_

_Takes one to know one._

_You are too?! Oh god it’s so nice to not be the only one anymore._

Clint smiles at her ease, at her quick change to a cheery attitude. She’s sweet and cute. He can tell she’ll be good for the super soldiers.

Emmie speaks up again, _Oh goodness where are my manners, my name’s Emmie._

Clint smiles, _I know._

Emmie facepalms, _Duh. Nat must’ve told you._

All Clint can do is nod. She really is adorable and cute. All good and pure.

Emmie looks at her phone and gasps. _She’s so late. _Tony is gonna yell at her. But that doesn’t seem to phase her because Clint showing up seems to be a good omen. She feels content. And Tony can’t take that away from her.

_I’ve gotta run, I’m super late. Can you tell Nat I say hi please?_

Clint nods once more, _Of course. Happy Thanksgiving Emmie._

She pauses before she responds, _You too Clint._

Emmie broadly smiles and takes her leave. Clint sits there as he watches her brace for the cold November day outside. Maybe this stake out wouldn’t be as bad as he thought.

~~

***Berlin***

Secretary Ross approaches a cell in the middle of a locked down room at the CIA headquarters in Berlin. His hands are clasped behind his back as he approaches methodically, calculating every step to ensure he sends a commanding message to his audience.

The prisoner looks up from his seat in the cell when Secretary Ross stops his advance just a few feet from the edge of the cell.

He takes a few minutes to observe the prisoner’s posture and facial expression. Oddly enough he looks content, like he accomplished what he set out to do.

“Mr. Zemo, I am a fan of your work.”

“Thank you.” He responds with no further explanation.

Secretary Ross puffs his chest as he speaks again, “I’m sure you know who I am but probably not why I’m here.”

“Enlighten me Secretary Ross.”

“Ahhh see I knew you knew who I was. This makes today much easier.”

“If you don’t have anything pertaining to me, I’d like you to leave.”

“Your work with the Winter Soldier was just the beginning. My sources say there was a civilian in the apartment when it was raided in Bucharest. There was blood remaining at the site, but we can’t find a DNA match. And I have a feeling the civilian is still alive.”

Secretary Ross starts to pace in front of the cell. He doesn’t give Zemo a moment to respond. “I have a proposition for you regarding this information. I still want Rogers’ and Barnes’ heads. A mission of sorts for you. And it would get you out of this cell.”

Zemo perks up, “You have my attention.”

~~

***New York City***

Today was another good day for Emmie. She met Clint, Tony was in a good mood regardless of her late arrival, and she was productive on all her tasks.

Even though today was a good day for Emmie, she was still exhausted when she arrived home.

Her feet drag as she makes her way to her room to undress and hop in the shower before she turns down for the night.

As she stands under the water in the shower, she envisions all of her problems washing away and disappearing down the drain and it helps her feel even lighter. Meeting Clint makes her have more faith that her boys are okay. That they are alive. That they are safe. But she still wishes they would have given her some type of signal, some sign, _any_ type of notice that they were okay. She takes a few deep breaths to try to wash those thoughts away, as she doesn’t want to go to bed with angry thoughts about her boys. She needs to stay positive. It’s the only way she’ll get through all of this.

As she tucks herself in for the night, she pulls out her most prized possession. The thin envelope and the one remaining piece that connects her to the man she loves with her whole heart.

Seeing his chicken scratch writing makes her smile. _My Best Girl._ It makes her heart swell every time. He makes her feel like she finally belongs within this world, and it just so happens to be with him.

She can envision him writing quickly, but with purpose.

She pulls the letter out, like she does every night, and holds it tight to her chest as she closes her eyes, trying to hold back some tears. She lets out a shaky breath as she brings the letter to eye level and begins to read, as she does twice daily since Nat gave her the letter five months ago.

Emmie sinks further into her mattress and the comfy sheets and blankets surrounding her and begins to read, even though at this point she has the whole thing memorized. She just loves having the letter in her hands and seeing actual physical evidence of her soulmate in her possession.

_Hi babygirl,_

_I hope this letter finds you, and I hope you’ll forgive me that I couldn’t do this in person. I’m just too much of a coward._

_If you get this letter, this means we made it through the hardest part. I’m headed somewhere where I can get some medical help and it might…take a while. _

_But I need you to know, this decision was the hardest decision I’ve had to make, because it’s keeping me away from you, my best girl. There isn’t a day where I don’t want to be with you. You make me feel like I matter again, and you’ve given me a second chance at life. And this is why I decided that I had to do this…I want to give you a better life._

_You’re my angel and I want to give you the world. There is so much more I need to explain to you, and I hope one day you’ll give me the chance to. I hope you’ll forgive me once we can be reunited again, but I understand if you won’t. I’ve put you through enough._

_Just know that while I’m gone…I’m thinking of you every moment of every day. I’m thinking of your beautiful, blinding toothy smile, when you blush when I call you beautiful, your hazel eyes showing so much love. I’m thinking of holding you in my arms, of kissing you, of slow dancing with you, of cuddling you on the couch, and watching sunsets together. I’m thinking of cooking together and it leading to a food fight, and celebrating every milestone of life with you. You are always on my mind babygirl._

_All I ask is for your patience. You asked me to fight, to do whatever I had to do to come back to you. Well…this is it. If you can wait just a little bit longer, I promise I’m coming back for you. You’re my entire world and I’m looking forward to seeing you again and never letting you go._

_I’ll see you soon dollface. And I’ll make it up to you once I’m back._

_I gotchu, baby, I gotchu._

_Your James_

_P.S. I told Steve to look after you while I’m gone. If he doesn’t, you tell me. You deserve everything babygirl._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think :) lots of love and virtual hugs!


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do Steve and Emmie finally meet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thank you for all the lovely comments! :)
> 
> Enjoy this chapter, thanks for your support <3

***Meanwhile in a Warehouse in Brooklyn***

The next day on Thanksgiving, Clint stealthily walks into the warehouse in Brooklyn to meet up with his teammates, his eyes peeled for any danger. He wishes he was with his family having a big feast, but work comes first. And Chinese takeout isn’t bad either.

When he surveys his surroundings, all he finds are his three friends already chomping down on the takeout.

Clint drops his bow as he rounds the corner, “Seriously guys? You couldn’t have waited? We said 8:00 and it’s,” he looks down at his watch, “8:01.”

Sam continues eating without looking up, “We finished earlier than expected.”

He ignores Sam as he directs the question to Cap, “You get the intel we needed?”

Steve nods in response without a sound.

Nat looks up with a smirk, “Don’t worry, I saved you the egg rolls, sweet and sour chicken, and your miso soup.”

He walks over to Nat and hugs her from behind, “At least someone cares about me.”

When Clint joins his teammates around the makeshift table, the chatter deadens. Something is being unspoken and it’s bugging him that no one is speaking up about it. He’s also furious with Nat that she withheld important information about Emmie.

“How is she?” Nat drops the question out of thin air like no big deal. She sees Steve’s head pop up from his food and can feel the daggers from Steve glaring her down.

Clint ignores her. He’s too mad to respond right now. Once he finishes his miso soup, he pleads, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Nat stops the forkful on the way to her mouth and rests it back down into the container. She doesn’t bullshit him, “I promised her.”

“Fair enough.” Clint nods and starts on his egg rolls.

Steve doesn’t know what’s just transpired between the two. “What’s going on? Is this about her?”

Steve hasn’t been able to say Emmie’s name for the past six months. He’s a mixed bag of emotions but for some reason, saying her name out loud make everything worse. He feels his guilt build up, his shame, his anger, his frustration all boil over when her name comes up in conversation.

Over the past six months, he hasn’t wanted any specific updates on her. He just asked Nat to tell him if she’s alive, if she’s healthy, and if she’s safe. Any other information he knew would distract him and he couldn’t have himself worrying about his soulmate in the middle of a fight half way around the world where he wouldn’t be able to get to her fast enough.

But at the same time, he yearns for her. He yearns to know more about her, to see her, to hold her again, to look into those dazzling eyes, and to protect her. He keeps telling himself he’s keeping his distance for her safety, but he doesn’t even know if he believes that anymore. Because staying away from her hurts him just as much.

When he gets a concerned stare from Nat, he stands up and his chair screeches as it’s shoved back behind him. He places his hands on his hips as he paces back and forth as his mind races.

Nat gently addresses Steve, “Steve…you might want to sit down for this.”

He knew it. He knew it was about her. Nat said Clint went home to visit his family, but he didn’t want to believe the lie then. He does now. This had to be about her.

He shakes his head angrily at Nat and crosses his arms across his puffed-out chest. He stands stoically as Nat proceeds.

“Emmie’s injuries have healed fine. Her wrist, her head, her bullet wounds, her black eye. She’s doing well. But…there’s one injury she sustained that’s permanent.”

Nat pauses. She knows he won’t take this well. She knows he’ll blame himself. But he needs to know.

“The bleeding on the side of her head? That was from her ear drums bursting. She’s lost all her hearing in her right ear but only suffered partial hearing loss in her left.”

Steve’s face drops. And so do his arms. His eyebrows scrunch together in pain, knowing he caused permanent damage to his soulmate.

“I was able to get her a hearing aid for her left ear, but she’ll be getting a second one soon.” She wasn’t going to tell Steve that Tony is now invested in making her a hearing aid as she knew he’d feel helpless. She needs to keep his spirits up, which is turning out to be a task in and of its own.

Steve storms over to the wall and punches it. _Hard._ The steel wall shakes and causes the roof to wobble slightly. Everyone assessing if the roof is going to cave in on them.

Steve is _angry._ Angry at the entire situation, and especially at himself. If he’d been more careful with his shield that day…

Clint really does feel for Cap. This is a massive secret Nat has been withholding from him.

“She’s strong Cap. From what I’ve seen the past week, she makes do with her situation. And she’s fluent in sign language now.”

Steve’s face falls. “The past _week?!_”

He feels betrayed. He can’t believe they went behind his back and against his word.

Clint can see Steve is about to blow, “I had no clue about her hearing loss. But she was struggling one day at a coffee shop and I had to intervene. I’m not sorry for it.”

Steve runs his hand down his face, not knowing how to process it all. He just wishes he could rewind the clock and take her with him on that fateful day. But he can’t do that.

He just wants to make it right.

He knows he’s failing her, and Buck would beat him over the head about this. But he’s _scared. _He’s scared of not being good enough for her, putting her in danger, her not wanting him back, not being ready to be with her, and her not forgiving him for this entire mess.

But he pushes that aside because he’s done enough to his soulmate. “I need to see her.”

Nat relaxes at his answer, “Good. You’re long overdue.”

Wilson sighs in the background, “_Here_ we go…” He speaks up, “Let’s go find this lovesick puppy his _other _soulmate.” He rolls his eyes playfully.

Nat pulls out her tablet and pulls up a map with a moving red dot. “Huh….”

Steve turns quickly, “What?”

Nat repeats herself, “She’s walking in Central Park.”

“How—”

“I put a tracker on the back of her necklace when she was recovering from surgery. And I’ve hacked into F.R.I.D.A.Y. to keep an eye on her.”

Clint speaks up, “Stark hasn’t found out?”

Nat shakes her head, “F.R.I.D.A.Y. is very taken with Emmie. They have a very sweet dynamic. Emmie treats F.R.I.D.A.Y. like a real person.” Nat laughs as she thinks of the footage of Emmie gossiping and talking with F.R.I.D.A.Y. about nonsense. And other moments when she bakes treats for F.R.I.D.A.Y. to try but forgetting F.R.I.D.A.Y. can’t help taste-test. “We came to an agreement to look after her without Tony knowing.”

“You undermining him? By using F.R.I.D.A.Y.? Like that’ll go well.” Sam huffs.

“So Stark knows _nothing _about her? Is Hill aware of this?” Clint asks.

Nat sighs. She nods regarding Hill, “She’s the one keeping Tony off my scent. And Tony only found out the other day about her hearing loss and soul marks because she had a…meltdown.” She stares pointedly at Steve, “I was impressed, she kept it together enough and didn’t reveal any names. She lied and said her soulmates are in black ops.”

Sam snidely remarks, “We might as well be…”

Nat steps closer to Steve and lowers her voice so he can only hear her, “Steve…she kept it secret for _six_ months. She’s sacrificing a lot to protect you too. You need to give Emmie more credit, because she cares too.”

She can see Steve is crumbling on the inside, his emotions raging. The pain is clear across his face.

She walks up to him and places her hand gently on his shoulder. She knows getting mad or yelling at him won’t help at all. “She misses you and Barnes. I know there’s a lot we can’t or shouldn’t do…but you do need to do better by her.”

Steve nods and sighs. He knows she’s right. He can always rely on Nat to help get his head on straight. “Thank you.” He responds softly.

He turns his face hard. “Stay in civilian clothing. No unnecessary attention.”

Everyone nods as they gather what they need. Nat smiles warmly at her friend, “Let’s go get your girl,” as they walk out to the van.

~~

Emmie has her hands stuffed in her coat pockets as she walks slowly besides Happy. Emmie needed a night stroll after the food coma that was Thanksgiving dinner. She had way too much on her mind and needed some fresh cold air to clear her head.

Silence falls over the pair as they stroll through Central Park late on Thanksgiving night. Tony and Happy noticed she seemed off during dinner. She seemed like her mind was far off in nowhere land as she stuffed every possible bite of food into her mouth and barely said a word all night. Tony thought it was stress eating and he was right.

She wanted a night stroll by herself so she could self-loathe and cry and throw a small pity party because the people she wanted most with her were no where in sight. She didn’t even know if two of them were alive.

But Tony was having none of that, as he saw her mood drop over dinner. She wouldn’t allow him to join her, so he suggested Happy and she relented. Still not knowing her situation, Tony knows she needs some sort of security wherever she goes and Happy is his right-hand man.

Thanksgiving has always been a stressful holiday for her. With her mom being the helicopter parent she is and how obsessed she is with her body and weight, Thanksgiving is a triggering holiday. She feels like there’s a constant spotlight on her where her mom watches her with laser focused hawk eyes that await judgment at the end of the day. So, depending on the year, she either barely eats anything or eats everything in sight.

This year obviously was the latter.

She hates how this holiday is tainted and ruined by her overbearing mother. She was hoping that since she met Bucky and Steve this year that she could finally start some new traditions and spend the holiday with people that really matter to her. People that she loves.

Not that she doesn’t love Tony and Pepper and Happy but they aren’t her soulmates or family. But that wasn’t in the cards for her this year.

She also wished she could have spent the day with Auntie, Marius, and Connor but Hill nixed that idea immediately. She said ‘for her safety’ she couldn’t have any contact with her family. Which made sense but it also didn’t. She couldn’t have one safe encrypted phone call? Or have them meet up at a safe house to meet for an even hour? She’s learned enough from Tony in the past five months that things just weren’t adding up.

Nat would have been honest with her. She knew that much. Why hadn’t she made an appearance yet?!

She’s been so in her head that she hadn’t noticed the four figures hiding in the shadows and converging on her and Happy.

Happy tried talking to her on the elevator ride down and at the beginning of the walk but he got nothing.

She’s _never _this quiet so he knows something really is wrong. After the fourth attempt to get her to talk, he thought it would be best for him to get some work done on his phone. He was sending email after email and wasn’t paying attention to any of the park goers that he missed his Avenger friends lurking around him.

The four teammates are about 100 yards away in each direction from the walking duo.

Steve finally lays eyes on her. She hasn’t looked up from her shoes, but she still looks as beautiful as she did six months ago. He notices her hair is a different color.

He whispers into the comms, “Emmie…” He doesn’t even realize it’s the first time he’s said her actual name out loud in the last six months.

Nat chimes in, “Good to see her up and about.”

Thank god she’s alive but he knows she doesn’t look entirely healthy. The way she’s walking concerns him. She has the slightest limp on her right leg, from the bullet wounds. She’s slumping over and her posture depicts sadness and pain. Each step looks more and more forlorn. The frown on her face and the pinch of her eyebrows makes him want to wrap her up in a tight hug. He wants to hold her and tell her he’s there. But that seems to be for another day as she’s walking with a man.

When Nat sees she isn’t alone too, she speaks into her comms, “Who’s she walking with?”

Clint, in the east, speaks up immediately, “Shit, she’s with Happy. Cap, stand down.”

Steve shrinks into his hiding spot in the north and curses. _Something_ always comes in between him and his soulmates. But this is why they devised several backup plans.

He sighs angrily. He wanted to be the one to interact with her. To see her up close after these six long months. But Sam is the only one she doesn’t know. He’s the only one who she won’t recognize. “Wilson, you’re up.”

“Copy, Cap.”

Sam stands in the west and starts to make his way towards the pair. He pulls his ballcap down lower on his face and tucks his chin closer to his chest. He puts his hands into his coat pockets and grips the piece of paper firmly as he sets a normal pace.

There are more people out in Central Park on Thanksgiving night than he expected. But this will help with his cover.

Emmie is staring at her feet as she continues to walk with Happy. Now he’s chatting animatedly over the phone as he uses dramatic hand gestures that the recipient can’t see.

Emmie doesn’t know how she hasn’t tripped over herself yet. She hasn’t once looked up since they started walking but has seen Happy converse lively out of the corner of her eye.

Sam takes their moment of distraction to close in on his target.

On his last stride that puts him in reach of Emmie, he lowers his shoulder and slams it into Emmie’s right shoulder. In her moment of instability, he shoves the note into her coat pocket and moves on quickly as she tumbles to the sidewalk.

Sam whispers into the comms, “Package delivered.”

Happy drops his phone mid-sentence as he takes a few steps to chase down the man. He stops and yells at the stranger, “Hey asshole! Watch where you’re going!”

He rushes to Emmie’s side and helps her up gently, brushing off the leaves and dirt that caught on her coat when she fell.

“Jesus Jellybean, you alright? I’m so sorry, I shoulda been paying attention more—”

“It’s okay Happy, really.” She tries to reassure him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll find somethin’ on that asshole and make him pay.”

“Happy, relax, I’m alright. I’ll be fine.”

Happy takes a moment to observe Emmie, trying to see if she’s lying. “Fine fine. Tony’s gonna kill me for letting some asshole lay a hand on you.”

“Hey hey, it’ll be our little secret okay? No harm no foul.” Even though she knew she’ll have dark bruises on her shoulder and her side by the morning.

When she dusts herself off and takes a breath to steady her legs before they start walking again, she looks up in front of her for the first time that night and sees a figure standing next to a tree. All she can see is the outline of the figure, but it looks oddly familiar. The build, the shoulders, the hair.

She gasps as she thinks she knows who it might be, so she squints her eyes to try to focus more. But when this doesn’t help, she brings both her hands up to wipe her eyes to help clear her vision but when she looks back up, the figure is gone.

_Was she imagining things or was that really him?_ It really looked like him, at least that’s what she’s telling herself.

_It has to be him._ There’s no other way to explain it.

Emmie quickly turns in her spot and makes a full 360, trying to see if the stranger escaped elsewhere. Panic quickly rising to the surface. She can’t lose a chance of seeing him. _Damn it!_

“NO NO NO! Don’t do this to me again! I HATE YOU! AHHHHHHHH!” She screams out into the cold night air. She doesn’t even know if it was truly him but yelling at him made her feel more grounded in the moment.

Happy gives her the oddest look, not understanding where her outburst is coming from.

She starts to wring her hangs and shake slightly nervously. She drags her fingers through her hair. Emmie can feel the tears start to form. Her breathing becomes a little more labored.

“Woah woah Jellybean, what’s wrong? What happened?” Happy asked urgently.

“I-I-I…I think-I think I saw someone I know but…” Emmie chokes out.

Without another word, Happy wraps his arms tightly around Emmie. “Hey, come ‘ere.”

He knows words might not help her right now, but a hug always will.

He feels her tighten her hold on him and he holds her for a few more moments, letting her calm down.

In the shadows, Steve is breaking at the sight of his soulmate falling apart because he didn’t have the balls to go to her. When she’s less than 50 yards from him.

Steve’s feeling enormously guilty, because he knows he’s the one to blame. He’s causing her this outrage, this pain, this sadness.

He knows he’s letting her down but when he sees her eyes perk up with hope when she feels the paper in her pocket and the tears fall down her face when she reads that paper, he knows he might still have a chance. And the smallest half smile slips onto his face.

When he sees her hold the note close to her heart as she cries. He wants to tell her everything is going to be okay, that they will be together soon.

“You’ve got some groveling to do Cap.” He hears Sam say over the comms.

He ignores Sam’s comment and turns it on him, “Why the hell did you hit her so hard?!”

“Oooo language Cap.” Clint mocks him.

Steve rolls his eyes. He had _one_ slip up and now they’re never gonna let him regret it.

“Rendezvous at the warehouse in 30.”

He doesn’t wait for his teammates’ replies as he takes off. Steve could use with some peace and quiet while he thinks.

~~

***The Following Day in Berlin***

Secretary Ross pays off the evening shift guards and escorts Zemo out of his cell. He puts a black bag over his head as three armed guards pull Zemo out of the building quickly as the security systems are only down for the next five minutes.

Ross made a deal with the UN to release Zemo, on the one condition that he only be allowed to work for this mission. The UN wanted Barnes and Rogers to pay for their disobedience and destruction they left behind.

There had to be no witnesses as to how Zemo escaped. They are planning on putting the blame on a third-party terrorist group that aided in Zemo’s escape. Not the American government.

Once the guards get Zemo secured in the van, Ross orders for the bag to be removed from his head as the van takes off down the road.

“You’re going undercover for this mission. Discretion is of upmost importance.”

“Understood,” Zemo responds.

“I’ve built up intel that our possible target has taken up with Stark. There was an employee that started with him too quickly after Bucharest, garnering some suspicion.”

“What sort of resources will I have?”

“Anything you need will be provided.”

“I expected nothing less.”

Ross studies Zemo for a moment before he proceeds. “You’ll have to play by my rules for a bit before I relinquish any sort of autonomy.”

Zemo nods, understanding his place for the time being. He can play along but he knows his own agenda doesn’t match up with Ross’s. But he isn’t going to reveal his true intentions right now. His work with Barnes and the Avengers is far from over.

“Where are we headed to first?”

Ross speaks up again, “How well do you know New York?”

~~

***Manhattan***

Tony gave her the weekend off and she doesn’t know if that was the best thing for her. She spent the entire weekend stressing over one stupid little post-it note with five even more stupid words on it.

_I’ll see you soon sweetheart_

Like _what the hell?!_ Of everything that could have been said, that’s what was written on the damn note?! She’s been livid ever since and she was hoping that a peaceful start to the week might help her get back on track.

Emmie wakes up earlier today so she can get herself together for the start of the week. Clear her mind of the shitshow that was the holiday weekend. She heads to her favorite coffee shop to ground herself in something familiar.

To start her Monday off right, she treats herself to her favorite team and a chocolate croissant to put her into a better mood. She spent the whole weekend being an anxious ball of mess. She spent a good portion journaling her anger out and it helped to some degree. She started journaling after her therapist recommended it.

But she just felt like she wanted to punch something, because deep down, she knew who she saw.

She knew it was him and she’s pissed beyond measure that he didn’t have the guts to see her.

She’s too distracted working on cooling down her steaming mug of tea in her hands at her favorite corner table that she doesn’t notice Clint approach her and sit down in the adjacent chair.

He nods and says and signs at the same time, “Hey you.”

Emmie puts her hand up to stop him and then points to her left ear. “Hey! Didn’t know if I would see you again. But I remembered my hearing aid so we can talk.” She places both her hands back around her mug. “Can I get you something to pay you back?”

Clint smiles at her kind offer. She really is too good for Cap.

Clint shakes his head, “No need, but thank you. How was your Thanksgiving?”

Clint feels bad bringing it up because he saw how distraught she was from the run in, but he’s digging for some information. See how much she noticed and if he can get any information out of her.

Emmie sighs as she looks down into her mug, “To be honest? It was super shitty…I’m just missing a few people extra hard…”

“I can relate.”

For some reason, Emmie finds herself on the verge of spilling her guts. To this stranger she’s met once.

“It’s just…I love the holidays and I just wish I could spend them with the people that mean the most to me…”

She doesn’t realize how emotional she’s getting until she feels a few tears fall down her cheeks. _What the hell._

This is exactly what she wanted to avoid; she wanted a fresh start to this week. She didn’t want to carry her problems into this new week.

Clint doesn’t know what it is about this girl but she is pulling at his heart strings. Maybe it’s her vulnerability? Her genuine personality? Regardless, he feels for her. He can see the pain she has clearly written all over her face.

Emmie wipes her eyes and then lays them back on the table while she takes a few breaths. Clint reaches out and holds her left hand and squeezes gently to give her comfort.

“Ugh I’m so sorry, I’m a mess, and it’s friggin 7:15am on a Monday.”

Clint squeezes her hand one last time before he lets go, “Don’t sweat it, you’ve got a lot on your mind.”

Emmie lets out a shaky breath, “You’re too nice, thank you. But I need to clean up real quick before I head into work…would you mind watching my stuff real quick?” Emmie picks her bag up off the floor and puts it on her seat right next to him as she waits for his answer.

“Yeah no problem.” Clint brightens up at the idea that she just gave him the perfect in.

He takes off quickly to the bathroom to clean up. Once Clint sees her disappear behind the door, he grabs her bag and starts digging through for anything of use. He feels slightly bad that he’s betraying her trust so quickly, but Nat asked him to do this and he can’t say no to her.

Clint pushes aside what looks like a makeup bag, her hairbrush, her wallet, her keys, her sunglasses, some mittens stuffed in her hat, but then…he knows he found the jackpot.

He pulls out the worn in journal and places it in his lap as he runs his hands around the cover. It’s a deep purple leather with her initials engraved on the front. There’s a ribbon attached to the spine of the book and it’s marking a page in the middle of the book, but he can’t examine any further as Emmie emerges from the bathroom and towards their table.

He stuffs her journal into the inside of his coat and places the bag quickly back on her seat like it was before he started snooping.

Emmie reaches the table but doesn’t take her seat. She starts putting on her coat in a haste.

“Leaving me so soon?” Clint questions.

“Yeah sorry Clint, got a text from the boss, he needs me now.” She starts buttoning up her peacoat and wraps a scarf around her neck.

“This early after a holiday weekend?”

“My boss doesn’t really abide by holidays. He’s a friggin genius and uber successful, but a bit of a diva at times. I love him for it though.” She laughs and rolls her eyes as she flips her curls out from under her scarf so it lays on her shoulders.

Clint thinks, _a bit of a diva is the understatement of the century. _The team will laugh at that.

“Your boss seems like one of a kind, who is he?”

“Signed an NDA. Nice try Clint.” She says with a cheeky smile.

Emmie really doesn't budge. He's proud of her for it. She's stronger than she looks no doubt.

She reaches into her purse and pulls out her wallet and grabs a bill. When she takes her hand away, he notices it’s a Benjamin. She just laid down a $100 bill.

Clint’s eyebrows rise to his hairline. He’s surprised but at the same time, not. Tony takes care of his people.

She softly laughs at his reaction. “Did I mention he’s stupid rich? Anyways…breakfast is on me today. Treat yourself.”

She smooths down her coat as she puts her wallet away and then slings her purse around her shoulder.

“Same time tomorrow friend?”

“See you then sunshine.” She blushes at the nickname.

He waves and smiles as she heads out towards the door. He blushes at how she called him her friend. _He's definitely gonna brag about that._

Once he sees her leave the shop, he shoves the Benjamin into a page in her journal. He treats himself to a donut before he starts heading for the warehouse to reconvene.

Nat will have fun with this. He smiles to himself knowing his Monday is off to a good start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! :D let me know your thoughts my lovelies


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve finally makes his long awaited appearance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! I can't believe this is over 10k hits! Blows my mind. Thank you thank you thank you!!! 
> 
> It means the world to me that people like my story and are continuing to read. 
> 
> Sorry for the longer delay, I wanted this chapter to be a bit longer, so I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Happy reading!

_She smooths down her coat as she puts her wallet away and then slings her purse around her shoulder._

_“Same time tomorrow friend?”_

_“See you then sunshine.” She blushes at the nickname. He waves and smiles as she heads out towards the door._

_Once he sees her leave the shop, he shoves the Benjamin into a page in her journal. He treats himself to a donut before he starts heading for the warehouse to reconvene. _

_Nat will have fun with this. He smiles to himself knowing his Monday is off to a good start._

***Warehouse in Brooklyn***

Clint spends the rest of the day wondering around Manhattan and using the extra $100 Emmie gave him for satiate his appetite. He skips around town hopping in and out of places he’s wanted to try lately. There wasn’t anything for him to do until he met up with the team later that night. Emmie is safe in the tower and Stark can look after her.

He’ll have to thank Emmie for funding his food adventure. He hasn’t eaten this well in a while. That's one con of being on the run.

As he walks into the warehouse, he’s smiling from ear to ear, content with a full belly.

But when he smells the Thai food, his stomach grumbles and he’s somehow hungry again.

“Did you order me the fried rice?”

Nat rolls her eyes at him and his bottomless appetite, “Yes.” She puts her fork down and crosses her arms over her chest. “But first…did you find anything?”

That makes Steve interested. _What did she have him doing now?_

Clint reaches inside his jacket and pulls out a purple, leather bound journal. “Yeah, this.”

Steve can see some initials engraved on the cover ‘_E.M.G’. _He didn’t care about any other letter besides the E, as he knew it had to be hers.

She’s all he’s been able to think about since Thursday. Seeing her in person gave him a lot to think about and he’s been grasping at straws about how to move forward. She’s constantly under surveillance, whether it’s with Tony, Happy, or a SHIELD agent. He’s a little less worried that she has people watching over her, but he wishes he could be there himself. The safest she’ll be is with him. _At least that’s what he likes to tell himself._

Nat’s eyes light up, “Yes! I’ve been wanting to see what she's been writing.”

Steve quickly intercepts the exchange and slaps the journal out of Clint’s hands. “No. You won’t invade her privacy like that.”

“But you will?” Sam quips.

Steve levels a menacing glare at Sam and he puts his hands up in the air in surrender.

Steve glares at Clint, “You’re suspended. No more meetings with her.” He points at Nat angrily, “_And you. _Stop undermining me.”

“What? Why?!” Clint questions. "She's way nicer than anyone in this room, I actually _like_ hanging with her." Clint scoffs.

“That’s a grave mistake Rogers.”

“Yeah come on Rogers, she was on edge the first time we met. I could tell she thought I was someone dangerous. Me not showing up after she expects to see me tomorrow will raise suspicion.”

“I have to agree with them on this Cap.” Sam adds.

_Damn it,_ he knows they’re right. Clint needs to keep the consistency up. So not to raise any alarms with Emmie. And at least he knows she’s safe when she’s with him.

Steve’s silence gives away his answer. “Glad you’re still on board.” Nat says.

Steve turns away from the team and puts his focus back to the journal. He’s clutching the journal to his chest tightly. The feeling of the leather pressed firmly against his fingers helps ground him. He feels like he’s holding her, holding a piece of her, and it makes him feel closer to her that much more.

He desperately wants to read what’s inside, but he doesn’t know if he should. He paces for a few minutes, his mind at war on what to do.

The team looks at him wearily, worried that Steve will act irrationally. Not like he doesn’t regularly, but Nat knows he might do something he might regret, because she’s his soulmate that he’s dealing with. She’ll have to pick up the pieces once again.

_The things she does for these boys._

Emmie’s written words are too tempting, and Steve opens the journal with some trepidation. As excited as he is to find out what’s inside, there could be things he might not want to read or shouldn’t know about. Hurtful words that could crush his heart.

But what he finds inside, is nothing. Absolutely nothing.

His panic indicates that he was hoping for some reassuring words of hope, possibly love and is left with nothing in return. He keeps turning over each page to see if what he finds changes, but he isn’t met with that kind of luck tonight.

Steve turns back quickly, rage building up inside.

“It’s blank.” He slams the journal down on the table and the thump when it lands echoes loudly in the warehouse.

“You stole a _blank_ journal Barton. _Her blank journal!_ You’re going to give it back tomorrow. Discretely. End of discussion.” He runs his hand over his face as he vibrates in frustration.

Clint bites back, “I didn’t know it would be blank, Nat just asked me to grab anything personal—”

Steve yells at Nat, “Are you fucking kidding me Romanoff?!”

Nat stands her ground, stern tone resonating through the room. “She’s dealing with this all on her own. Hill isn’t the most approachable person. Stark is digging and she can’t risk any slip ups. I wanted to check in on her because she _needs a friend._”

“You had no right!” Steve rebuttals.

“Barton and I are doing more for her than you are at the moment. You’ve abandoned her.” Nat says plainly. She knew that last part would sting for him. But she said it on purpose because he needs a hard kick in the ass. He needs a reality check.

Steve goes silent and walks away. That felt like the biggest stab in the heart. But he knew it was true. He abandoned her because he thought it was the best way to keep her safe. Nat was just the first one to voice it and call him out on it.

He walks outside so he can try to clear his head. He looks up to the few stars he can see and begs for guidance. He doesn’t know what to do anymore. Either choice he makes, he feels like he’s letting her down. But her safety is most important while he sorts everything out, and they aren’t on the run anymore.

Steve’s thoughts are interrupted when Sam sneaks up on him, “Steve…you okay?”

Steve doesn’t look at Sam, but he lowers his gaze from the sky to his crossed arms over his chest. He exhales. “I don’t know what’s right anymore. I don’t know what to do for her.”

Sam sidles over to a cement ledge and props himself up on it. He can see how conflicted Steve is and he knows Steve needs a friend right now, not a teammate.

He places his hands on either side of his thighs and leans forward as he starts to speak, “Coming from the most righteous guy on the planet? Not sure if that’s reassuring.” Sam chuckles to himself, always finding something to laugh at. But Steve didn’t find it funny. He seems to have shrunken in on himself even more. _Okay bad timing with a bad joke._

“In all seriousness, the only way to find out what to do is if you meet her. _Talk_ to her. Get to _know_ your _soulmate._ Take her out on a date for Pete’s sake, you owe her that much.”

Steve nods solemnly. Sam’s right, but his fear of rejection is clouding all his judgment.

Sam can see Steve pondering over what to do but he also came out to grab Steve, not just for some consoling.

“Think on it, Cap. But Nat found something that might be of interest to you.” Sam nods his head towards the door that leads back inside.

Steve raises his eyebrows and then follows Sam back inside.

He’s put on edge when he sees Nat has the journal in her hands and he struts with purpose back to her side. “No invading her priv—”

“_Steve, _stop.” She glares at him. “The journal isn’t what it seems. It’s not really blank.”

He stops at her meaning and allows her to continue.

“You notice how the book is worn but there’s no writing on it? How the journal looks used but there’s no evidence of it?” She opens up the journal to a random page, demonstrating no words.

Steve did notice that but didn’t think much of it. Now he knows Nat’s onto something. He nods at her question.

Nat turns to Barton who’s standing in the corner. “Barton.”

Clint switches the lights off and Nat shines a flashlight on an open page in the journal. But it’s a _blue _flashlight.

She continues to flip through pages and pages of the journal, and he gets his answer. What Steve sees is what he was hoping for. Journal entries. Emmie’s written word. He smiles and he can feel his heart unclench and the anxiousness leave.

Nat continues, “Your girl used a black light pen. It makes sense because I only saw her journaling at night with a flashlight.” She calls out Barton to turn the lights back on.

When Steve can see his teammates again, Nat speaks again, “She’s smart. _Really _smart Steve.” She smirks at the dumbfounded super soldier.

She closes the journal and hands it back to him, with the black light flashlight on top. “When you’re ready, take a look.”

He holds the journal in his hands like it’s the most precious thing in the world to him. This is his key to get to know his soulmate a little more. And maybe it’s a connection to Bucky too…she probably wrote a lot about him. She had more time with him.

Without looking up at her, he stutters out, “Th-thank y-you Natasha.”

She smugly smiles at him and places one hand on his bicep, “You can thank me by taking her out on a date on Friday.”

Steve looks up, scared of the idea of the date happening so soon. “W-what?”

“I’ll set it up. You just show up…You _can_ do that, right?”

~~

***Manhattan***

As Emmie leaves work for the weekend, her mind reels with all her racing thoughts. As usual, her mind is consumed with thoughts of her soulmates. They are never not on her mind.

She’s cat sitting for another Stark Industry employee for the weekend and she’s so excited. Not only to have a furry friend around but to also have a change of scenery. And maybe the change in scenery will do her a load of good.

Tony freaked out when Emmie explained she wouldn’t be in the Tower this weekend. To calm his paranoia, he gave her a new Stark phone with F.R.I.D.A.Y. programmed into it for any emergencies. There was also going to be two SHIELD agents posted outside the apartment and following her around the whole weekend. Emmie’s annoyed but she also understands why he made sure she took precautions. She secretly appreciates how much he cares for her. He makes her feel like she matters…at least to one person.

Emmie has had a really good week. She’s seen her new friend Clint every morning at the coffee shop and he has given her this new joy she hasn’t had in a while. He has this uncanny ability to make her laugh with the stupidest jokes and puns and his sarcasm but he’s also a great listener.

He listens intently to her stories and gossip, and gives good advice too. He laughs at her poor jokes and smiles warmly as they sip their drinks and delight in their breakfast treats in the morning. He has managed to give her a good start to her days this week. For which she’s very grateful.

As much as it has been nice to talk with another person openly, his kind demeanor makes her ache for Bucky that much more.

The way he would gaze into her eyes as she would bare her heart to him. The way he would hold her tighter as she cried in his arms. The way he would whisper sweet nothings into her hair to reassure her worrying mind.

He made her feel safe without even trying. Just by being him.

And by thinking of Bucky, she thinks of Steve.

_God_ thinking of Steve makes her mad. It makes her want to punch him, shake him uncontrollably, slap the stupid out of him, and mess up his perfectly made hair.

She wants to yell at him and demand answers about his absence. About his abandonment of her. Of him leaving her behind for so damn long.

She wants to rip his thumping heart out and squeeze it until it can’t be squeezed anymore just so that he can understand how much her heart has been hurting. Anything to get him to realize how much he hurt her.

He doesn’t realize how much she cares for him already, with only having less than five minutes of interaction. But she knew the moment they locked eyes for the first time that he had already stolen a piece of her heart. And she doesn’t want it back.

But on second thought…if that really was him in the park, she might have to reconsider. She wants an explanation for…well, everything.

But deep down, she knows what her anger is really hiding. It’s hiding her broken heart. Her hopelessness on being reunited with her soulmates.

She just wants to be loved. She wants to know that _can’t-live-without_ kind of love and she wants that with her soulmates. And knowing her shit luck, she might have lost that chance back in May.

Not having heard anything from either of them in the last six months has been hell and she just wants it to stop. She wants to be happy and in love like she was with Bucky. _Is_ with Bucky. She needs to believe that he’s still alive. She won’t believe he’s dead until she sees it with her own eyes.

She can’t lie to herself and say it didn’t hurt not hearing _I love you_ back from Bucky. It took so much courage to tell him, and to be the first of the two to say those three words. She knew it was the right thing to do then, she doesn’t regret it, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt any less.

She’s holding onto hope that one day he will recite those words back to her. With everything he’s been through, she doesn’t know if he’ll allow himself to love someone, or if he wants to. She wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t want to love her. She’s not that special, he could find someone that fits his lifestyle better.

It grows harder with each passing day to believe that she is lovable, that she is desirable, that she is worth being with, without hearing anything from her boys.

She’s finally made it to her friend’s apartment in Brooklyn and starts to climb the walkup apartment building to the sixth floor.

She stumbles to the door as she’s huffing and puffing from ascending the stairs. She pulls out the extra set of keys from deep in her backpack. Her heavy breathing as she unlocks the door distracts her from the shuffling of feet from within the apartment.

Emmie visited her friend’s apartment earlier in the week to meet her new furry friend, Oreo, so she could learn the ropes of how she needed to care for him. It also gave her a good chance to learn the layout of the place, even if the apartment isn't much to begin with. She goes to turn the kitchen lights on, and she heads over to place her bag on the counter. Emmie takes a minute to browse through the fridge to see if there was anything to make a meal out of.

With no luck, she slams the fridge door shut, knowing she’ll have to go fetch something from the store down the block.

Emmie audibly groans and throws her head up to the ceiling. When she lowers her head, something in her periphery catches her eye and causes her to stiffen.

There’s a tall and broad shadow figure standing in the living room near the windows. The streetlights are giving his body shape and the figure then starts to encroach upon Emmie.

She leaps for the frying pan that is hanging from a hook from the ceiling and rushes to grab the pepper spray out of her purse.

Once she has both in her hands ready to defend herself, she loudly pronounces, “Don’t come any closer! I-I…have a frying pan!” Emmie waves the pan like the figure couldn’t already see what it is.

The figure continues forward slowly without saying a word so Emmie continues in the most intimidating voice she can muster, “I’ve got pepper spray and I’m not afraid to use it!”

The figure puts his hands up in surrender but still moves forward. Emmie is sweating with worry, realizing that this might be her demise.

Her breathing picks up and her pulse is in her ears. Her throat dries up in anticipation.

The figure finally steps into the kitchen light and she realizes this stranger is some intimidating man who could break her in half with his pinky. He stands about two feet away from her and his large frame looms over her smaller, frightened body. She looks up at the stranger with frightened eyes and gulps loudly. She says softly as she holds the pepper spray at arm’s length, pointed directly at her intruder. “P-please don’t make me use this.”

The slight movement of the man’s hands causes Emmie to jerk her fingers. The sweat building up on her fingertips and in her palm cause her pointer finger to slip and press down on the lever to spray the mace at her intruder.

She flinches as the pepper spray spurts into the stranger’s eyes and he groans at the instant burning sensation on his eyes. He goes to cover his eyes to block the incessant spray from further causing damage.

Emmie is frozen in shock and she can’t move her finger off the lever to stop the onslaught of pepper spray on her intruder. _She actually used it, she defended herself!_

But she’s brought out of her thoughts when the man suddenly knocks her hand to the side and the pepper spray falls out of her grip. She follows where the pepper spray tumbles across the floor and that’s when she remembers she has a frying pan in her other hand.

With a renewed vengeance to defend herself, Emmie charges the stranger and starts whacking him harshly with the frying pan.

The stranger looks shocked that Emmie would attack him and takes a slight step backwards as he blocks the next hit with his forearm. The stranger didn't flinch or grunt at the contact from the frying pan and is wondering if her tactic is really making any difference.

Emmie isn’t sure why he’s retreating; this man could knock her out with one swing of his fist. But she doesn’t stop, she raises her voice at him, “_Get. Out. Of. My. Apartment!”_ Each word laced with venom and followed by a whack of the frying pan. 

On the last swing of her frying pan, he finally gains the upper hand by catching the pan in midair. He rips it out of her grip and chucks it across the floor where the clattering echoes throughout the kitchen. But she thinks, _how did he recover so quickly? _Usually pepper spray has a more adverse effect on someone.

Emmie stops breathing. She knows this is it. _This is the end._

She looks up at her intruder and she can feel the tears building up. She’s not strong enough for this. But what he does next surprises her.

He steps into her personal bubble and firmly grabs the back of her neck. He tilts her head up so their eyes connect.

When she gazes into his eyes, she gasps. Through the puffy, red laden and strained eyes, she can see those familiar, deep ocean blue pupils she knows all too well. The longer brown hair styled back with a full beard is throwing her off. But those eyes. She couldn’t mistake them anywhere. She places her hands on his forearms that are holding her head and neck.

“…St-Steve?”

When he knows she has his attention, he speaks tenderly with a steady voice, “Hi sweetheart.”

His thumb laying on her jaw rubs a small circle trying to calm her. That soft touch makes her crumble. Her lip quakes and her chin trembles as she lets out a choked sob. Tears spill out of her eyes.

_He’s here._

She falls forward into his chest and she clutches to it tightly as she sobs. She slumps into his embrace and he catches her. He holds her close as he cradles her head right next to his heart. He finally lets out a shaky exhale. Feeling his girl in his arms makes him break his tough exterior. He holds her even tighter, thinking that if he holds her close, she couldn’t slip away. She couldn't leave. He wouldn't have to be without her any longer.

He waited _way _too long for this. Like Nat said, this was _long overdue._

Steve holds her while she cries. Her sobs filling the otherwise silent apartment. He sinks to the floor against the kitchen wall with her still in his arms.

He pulls her into his lap and squeezes Emmie to his frame. Steve drops his head forward and rests his forehead on hers. He places the gentlest kiss on her forehead and pets her hair down and she cries out at his touch, grasping at his shirt tighter.

Emmie feels like she’s living a dream. Steve is here? She’s with her soulmate? In the flesh? And he isn’t leaving her?

She can feel the patch of his shirt that’s now soaked from her tears. She starts to feel slightly bad but then she realizes that feeling the tears on his shirt reminds her this is real. This is happening.

Emmie peels her head off his chest and timidly looks into his still red eyes. She searches his eyes for something that she desperately needs. When she can’t decipher anything, she takes a breath before she speaks to the man holding her so adoringly.

“…Why?”

Steve scrunches his eyebrows together, “W-what?”

Emmie pulls further away from him. Steve looks confused with her trying to distance herself from him. _Isn't this what she wanted? Them to be together?_

Emmie quickly jumps up to her feet to grab the frying pan Steve knocked out of her hand. Once she has her weapon, she moves into a defensive position with the frying pan straight out in front of her.

Steve asks again, as he puts his hands out like he’s trying to calm a cornered animal, “Sweetheart? What's wrong?”

Emmie can feel the emotions coming to the surface. Her eyes well up with tears and her vision becomes blurry. She starts waving the pan in front of her manically as she starts yelling at her soulmate.

“_Why?! _Why now? Why show up now? What happened in the last _six_ months that you couldn’t come back to me? _Huh?” _

Steve is too shocked to respond. He's at a loss for words, not sure how she quickly turned a corner like this.

And this was his worst fear coming true, that Emmie would be angrier and more frustrated with his absence rather than accepting and welcoming of him coming back into her life.

With Steve’s silence, Emmie continues and moves forward towards Steve, “You _left_ me.” Emmie gets into Steve’s personal space and whacks him with the pan on his bicep. “And you never _once _checked in on me.” Steve flinches at another whack. “I’ve been _alone_, trying to figure out my life, recovering from _multiple, severe _injuries, not even _knowing_ if you and Bucky are alive.” Whack. “Do you know what that’s done to me? How much I’ve missed you two? Not knowing if I would ever see you guys _ever again?!_” Double whack.

Emmie’s panting at this point, with tears streaming down her cheeks, her shoulders shaking with emotion.

"And where is Bucky?! Why isn't he here with you?!"

He tries to placate her, "I can't tell you that sweetheart, but he's safe. I promise."

Emmie chokes out a sob and drops the pan to the floor. It clatters loudly and she brings her hands to her face as she wipes the blobs of tears from her eyes. 

No one can ever tell her anything ever it seems, but it's the first sign of life regarding Bucky, so she has to live with it and take Steve at his word.

_But where the hell did all this come from?! So much anger! _She's never acted out like this before. What has gotten into her?!

Steve stands there, dumbfounded with not knowing how to handle the situation. He doesn’t know if he should approach Emmie and comfort her, or if he should just let her anger fizzle out. He goes against his doubts and takes a tentative step towards her, but she counters with a step backwards.

She drops her hands, letting go of all her anger, allowing Steve to see her red, puffy eyes. Her tired voice whimpers out, “Why are you here Steve?”

Steve places his hands on his hips and puffs his chest out. He replies like it's the obvious answer, “I’m here to see you sweetheart—”

Emmie shakes her head, “Nope, could’ve done that since May. Try again.”

Steve’s rattled. He wasn't expecting so much resistance. But he racks his brain for other reasons, besides the one that he knows is the truth. He sighs, “Buck would…ya know…about me not bein’ with ya—”

“_Seriously?! _You’re here because of Bucky?! He wrote in his letter _to me_ that while he’s off doing whatever he has to do, you’d take care of me.” Emmie walks right up to him and slams her palms into his chest, causing him to take a surprised step back. “So where have you been?! Because you haven’t done _any _of that.” More tears spill from her eyes.

She continues, “Do you even _want_ to be here? Do you even _want…_me?”

Seeing the pain and disappointment on Emmie’s face causes Steve to break his façade. He knows she’s right, and she’s calling him out on it. It hurts even more coming from his soulmate. But she deserves more than he can ever give. 

He pleads with her, “_Oh god_, sweetheart, of course I do!”

She crosses her arms over her chest and raises her eyebrows, challenging him. She just stands there waiting for him to elaborate.

He sighs and runs his hands through his hair. He doesn’t look up from his shoes, “Because I want to know you. I-I wanna take ya out doll.”

Emmie’s hard exterior falls. _Bucky calls her doll. _

_God,_ hearing that word _hurts so much._

She misses him beyond reason. She covers her mouth with her hand to cover the crushed whine that escapes her throat. _She needs her honey bear._

She needs to focus though on right now. Bucky isn’t here and she needs to handle this situation on her own. The ache in Steve’s voice is evident, so she needs to trust her gut and go with what she’s feeling. Even though he could have done that much sooner than now, she's deciding to give him a chance. She drops her arms to her side, “…Really? You mean that?”

“Yes sweetheart.” He nods while he takes slow steps towards his soulmate.

“Wh-what made you change your mind?" She has to know.

“I don’t want to waste any more time not knowing you.”

Not entirely satisfied with his answer, she sighs, “Give me one good reason why I should give you a chance.”

Steve’s brows scrunch at her resistance to spending time with him. But he sees how scared she is. Scared he might hurt her again.

“Because I wanna know the dame who helped save and love Buck…_our_ Bucky.”

She appreciates his honesty but why does everything always have to be about Bucky? Why can’t he get to know her because he wants to? Because they are soulmates? Because they are supposed to have and are allowed to have their own bond as well?

But she stuffs all of that to the back of her mind. She doesn’t want him to see her insecurities. He’s here and she needs to treasure the time she has with him, no matter what.

“One chance Captain.” She gives him a small smirk.

The way she says Captain turns Steve on. He didn’t think hearing his rank from her would do such things to him.

He clears his throat, “Nat booked us a reservation at this fancy place in Midtown—”

Emmie shakes her head adamantly, “Do I look like I’m ready to get dressed up?” She laughs at herself. “I have a new go-to place, very casual, and I know the owners. They're like family to me now.”

“That sounds perfect.” He smiles fully for being given a second chance.

"Does perfect include having SHIELD agents follow us tonight?" 

"Already taken care of." Thanks to Nat teaming up with F.R.I.D.A.Y. and calling the agents back only for a few hours, until she's back.

"Damn, alright Captain. I'm impressed."

Steve blushes as he laughs at her compliment, _she called him impressive._ That's a good start right?

~~

After Emmie gets cleaned up, they make their way to Steve’s car. Steve attempts to hold her hand but she rushes to put her hands in her pockets. He then tries to place his hand on her lower back to lead her outside, but she isn’t having any of it either. She flinches away from him and when they step into the elevator, she stands in the opposite corner from him, as far away as possible, keeping her eyes to the ground.

When they reach the car, Steve hurries to the passenger side to open the door for Emmie. Steve gives her a shy smile, hoping she’ll take his small gesture as a sign of chivalry.

Emmie glares at him but softly says, “Thank you,” as she climbs into the front seat.

Emmie feels bad for giving Steve the cold shoulder right now but she's protecting herself. She doesn't want to get too attached for him to leave her again for an undisclosed amount of time.

Steve makes his way around the hood of the car and climbs into the driver seat. When he buckles up and presses the push start, the car hums to life.

Emmie scoffs but a half smile forms on her face. “Do you even have a license?” She teases him.

_He doesn't. She's perceptive. _Steve takes her playful jab as a good sign and tries to play it off. “Very funny.” He taps the wheel with his fingers as he realizes he doesn’t even know where he’s going.

“Where to?” His eyebrows raise as he looks over at his soulmate.

“753 Coney Island—”

_Coney Island?!_ Steve isn’t ready for that. It’s been too long, and he would rather have Bucky with him when he returns there.

“Co-Coney Island?” He stammers.

“_Avenue._ Coney Island Avenue.” She rolls her eyes. “Men always interrupting…” And the rest of her sentence fading into murmurs. She turns to look out the window as her hands fall to her lap.

“It’s in Brooklyn. You _should _know your way around.”

Steve nods but doesn’t verbally response. He does remember approximately where that is. He pulls the Audi out into the bustling Friday night and begins their trek to the diner.

Emmie doesn’t give him any attention, as she leans her head against the window and watches the city around her fly by.

The tranquility of the cabin calms her. _This is a nice ass car. _

She closes her eyes as she sighs and relaxes into her seat. The busy, loud, chaotic city around her fades away and she feels like she’s able to take a breath for the first time this week.

But as she sits there in the car, overanalyzing everything that’s happened in the last 20 minutes and six months, she can’t believe that he’s six inches away from her, on the way to…to a…date? Can she even call it that? He didn’t even ask her out properly….

Emmie decides to bury her pride and turns towards her soulmate. What she sees breaks her heart. His fingers are gripping the wheel so tight his knuckles are turning white, his shoulders are up near his ears, his eyebrows are pinched together, and he’s doing a terrible job at trying to play it cool.

_Is she being too harsh on him? _She doesn't want to push him away, he just got here. What would Bucky think of her treating him like that? What would he say? _So many conflicting emotions._

His chest puffs out when he sees her look at him out of the corner of his eye. _He really doesn’t want to screw this up._

What takes him by surprise is what Emmie does next.

She slowly slides her hand over the middle console until it meets his elbow. Her fingers then delicately move along his leather jacket, up his forearm. Her feather light touch makes him hold his breath as her hand gets closer to his.

Emmie lays her hand on top of his right hand that has the wheel in a death grip. She delicately slides her fingers between his and squeezes slightly. And it gets the result she wanted; him to relax.

For this evening to not be as miserable as she expects it to go, Steve needs to relax and not act like he has a stick up his ass. He's been very tense since the beginning. She’s hoping her touch will lighten his very apparent anxiety.

At the next red light, Emmie decisively grabs his hand and pulls it into her lap. She takes a few moments to study his hand, the strong muscles and veins forming his solid grip. The obvious lack of scrapes and callouses surprises her. His are the opposite of how Bucky’s hands feel.

Emmie sizes up her tiny hand against his gigantic one and it makes her shyly smile. Not merely from the size, but she thinks of the feeling of his hands on her body, holding her, comforting her, and protecting her. All she wants is to experience that connection truly, peacefully, and without getting injured for once…

She slowly laces her fingers with his and grasps his hand with confidence. She might be mad at this gigantic beautiful idiot driving them to dinner, but she’s also grateful.

Grateful that he _did_ eventually show up and that he’s alive. That he wants to spend time with her. He could have easily fulfilled her fear of not wanting her but he keeps proving her wrong.

Emmie doesn’t know how long he’ll stay or the next time she’ll see him so she needs to take advantage of all the time she gets with him.

She speaks quietly down into her lap while her thumb rubs up and down against his, “As…as mad as I might be…I’m-I’m really happy you’re here.” She didn’t realize she had tears building up until she feels something wet drop onto her hand. She whispers, “Thank you for coming back to me.” She squeezes his hand tighter and leans her head back against the headrest.

Emmie looks at him fondly, taking in his profile until he turns his head to gaze back. He looks down at her with regret and sorrow. He can’t believe he put off this reunion for this long.

The traffic has become bumper to bumper at this point, so he takes the slowed down moment to admire the dame next to him.

While keeping eye contact with his doll, he hesitantly brings their connected hands up to his lips and presses a tender kiss into the back of her hand. He sees her lip quiver at his kiss so he kisses her hand again.

“I'm a man of my word, sweetheart.”

She nods at him and allows him to hold her hand in his lap as they continue the drive.

They don’t speak the rest of the ride but Emmie’s more relaxed. Holding his hand helps keep her present in the moment and relish in his touch. But she does sneak a few glances at him because seeing him grip the steering wheel with one hand while holding her hand with the other and staring at his stunning profile….it just does things to her. He looks so regal and distinguished to her. _Hmm…Prince Charming…_

Emmie can see the diner down the block and turns to Steve, “I hope you’re hungry. The portions are _huge._”

Steve smiles back, “I can always eat.”

When Steve parks, he quickly unbuckles the seat belt to rush over to open Emmie’s door, but she beats him to it. She’s already at the diner door when he gets out of the car.

She stands there waiting for him excitedly. She holds her hand out, waiting for him to grab her hand. “Come on, c’mon! I’ll introduce you to the owners.”

Steve catches up to her and is able to open the door for her as he grabs her hand. She smiles sweetly at him as she leads him inside.

The diner is packed for a Friday night and their senses are overwhelmed with delicious aromas and classic 80s hits. 

They are welcomed with an older woman who smiles broadly at the couple and yells out, “Oooo Emmie! My love, it’s so good to see you!” She rushes out from behind the counter to engulf Emmie in a hug.

Steve has to back away quickly to avoid being tugged into the hug as well. She sways Emmie back and forth as she hums and then rubs her hand up and down her back. “Have you been eating Emmie? Has Tony been working you too hard?” She asks like a concerned aunt would.

Emmie avoids answering by deflecting, “I brought someone with me Debbie.”

Debbie gasps and then turns to Steve who is standing by himself bashfully. She turns back to Emmie, “I can see that. Wait...Is this him?!”

Emmie blushes and nods her head, “Yeah.” She giggles as she stares dotingly at Steve.

“Oh Lordy, is he a _looker_ Emmie! God damn woman!” Debbie walks over to Steve and hugs him tightly. She pulls away and then rubs her hands down his biceps for a moment too long as she drinks Steve up. “Mm – mm – mm.”

“Debbie!” Emmie playfully scolds her. She pulls Debbie away from Steve and lightly slaps her arm, “Stop embarrassing him.”

“Well it’s nice to meet you, young man, you’ve got a very special lady on your hands. Now c’mon, let’s get you both some food.”

She turns to a beet red Steve and mouths ‘Sorry’ to him as she grabs his hand and leads them to the counter where two empty barstools are open in the back corner of the L shaped bar. Steve makes sure Emmie sits on the barstool to his right against the wall for safety purposes. But he doesn’t tell her that.

When they sit down, Debbie places menus and silverware in front of them, “Your usual booth is taken honey bun, so I hope the bar is okay.”

Steve finally speaks up but looks at Emmie as he does, “It’s perfect.”

She blushes once more at his endearing smile.

Emmie snaps out of it and realizes she hasn’t even introduced Steve yet.

“Where are my manners?! Debbie, this is my…this is Steve. Steve, this is Debbie, half owner of this joint.”

Steve’s face slightly falls at how she didn’t address him as her soulmate.

Steve nods at Debbie and sticks his hand out for her to shake, “Pleasure to meet you ma’am.”

“Oooo and he’s polite. I like him already.” She winks at Emmie before turning to the open kitchen window behind her. “George! Your favorite girl is here!”

A tall man with a small beer belly, a full beard, and a graying head of hair comes rushing out of the kitchen with his apron and chef hat on. When he looks at the bar and sees Emmie, his whole face lights up.

He walks up to Emmie and pulls her out of her seat to give her a full-on bear hug.

“Emmie! Where’ve ya been this week? How ya doin’?” He squeezes her tighter.

He leans back from the hug and takes in her flustered face and body language. He doesn't let her answer, “Let me make you your usual.” He sees Steve sitting patiently at the barstool watching them interact and Debbie makes eyes at him to acknowledge this man’s presence. “And who’s this with you?”

“George, uh, meet Steve. Steve, this is George, the other owner and namesake of the diner.”

Steve stands up out of his chair and shakes George’s hand firmly with a small smile. “Pleasure to meet you sir.”

George is shocked by his broad size, height, and his huge hand that consumes his own. He turns to Emmie and Debbie, who are laughing silently at his bewildered reaction.

He isn’t going to give in as quickly as Debbie did to Steve’s dashing good looks, he has to know Emmie is with a gentleman. He steadies himself, “Well, young man, you’ve got a good firm handshake, so you’ve got that goin’ for ya.”

Steve blushes slightly and then sits back down next to Emmie. She speaks up for him as she reaches for his hand under the counter. She speaks to George, “Can you make him your lasagna? And spaghetti and meatballs too?”

“That’s a lot of food sweets—”

“Trust me George.” Emmie nods encouragingly, conveying that she’s good for her word.

George smirks and grins easily, “Comin’ right up Em.” Then he turns back to the kitchen, smiling at the cute couple sitting at the bar. He hasn’t ever seen Emmie this relaxed.

Steve turns to Emmie, puzzled by the order, not knowing how she knew what he would like. “How did you—”

Emmie softly giggles, “Bucky likes to talk about you. Helps with remembering. And…and I asked about you.” She laces their fingers together as she says shyly, “I wanted to learn about you, from the person that knows you best.”

_God damn, Bucky wasn’t kidding. _She really is an angel. Steve doesn’t know what to say or how to respond so he covers their joined hands with his other and rubs his thumb over her knuckles.

The bell chimes at the front door as another customer enters the diner. Emmie turns at the sound and she smiles as one of her favorite ladies makes her way into a booth.

Emmie slips off the barstool, “I’m gonna go say hi to someone real quick. Be right back.”

Steve only nods and watches her make her way over to an elderly woman sitting at a booth, with a cane propped up against the table. When Emmie slips into the booth, the woman smiles brightly back at Emmie and they start moving their hands in gestures quickly but aren't speaking.

He doesn’t know what’s happening until he hears Debbie pipe up from behind the counter, “That’s Jane. She’s been a regular for the past 15 years. She um…the first day Emmie came in here, she was rattled more than anyone should be. She was crying and she wasn’t responding to anything any one of us was saying. That’s when Jane stepped in.”

Steve couldn’t believe that Jane could have helped. An elderly lady like her? “Jane? How did she—”

“Steve, do you not know what happened to her?”

He remembers it _vividly. _“Yes, I do—"

“Then what do you think they’re doing? They’re _signing._”

Steve mentally face palms. How could he _forget _so easily? Barton did mention she was fluent...

Emmie had been acting so normally and it seemed like she was hearing everything perfectly clear. Things were going better than he thought, and it completely slipped his mind that she can’t hear well. _She doesn’t show it, that’s for sure._

Steve looks at Emmie longingly, and he smiles softly to himself as he sees how happy she looks interacting with Jane.

“Jane figured it out quickly because she’s just like Emmie, and they’ve been close friends ever since. Emmie sits with her any chance they're both here at the same time, it’s really sweet.”

“Yeah…it really is.” Steve mumbles to himself.

Steve sees Emmie point to Steve and then her and Jane giggle. _Wonder what that was about._

Jane’s food is placed in front of her so Emmie gets up and leaves her to her peace of mind to eat. When Emmie sits back down next to Steve, he has a renewed respect and admiration for his soulmate.

They fall into an awkward silence and neither knows what to say or do. Emmie keeps her hands to herself, somewhat embarrassed he saw her signing. That's the first time she's signed in front of anyone super important, besides Debbie and George. She doesn't even sign to Tony because she has F.R.I.D.A.Y. And Steve doesn’t ask anything about her exchange with Jane or anything further about Debbie and George. He doesn’t want to intrude on her time with her deaf friend or impose on anything too personal.

Emmie’s a bit worried, _did she do something wrong?_ She starts to internalize and wring her hands in her lap. But luckily, she’s saved from her overthinking when Debbie pops up again.

Debbie gracefully acts as a buffer for her and Steve as she goes on these long tangents of stories about Emmie and what she’s been up to these past six months. She also indulges the couple with stories about her and George, and the craziest late-night incidents the diner has seen since they’ve opened the place.

Debbie has the two eating out of her palm. Emmie knows she’s a great storyteller, but Steve is amazed at her grandeur at every turn. 

George pops his head out of the kitchen every now and then to correct Debbie on some _important_ story details or to add some comic relief. Emmie at one point is laughing so hard she feels her eyes water and she almost falls out of her chair. Steve balances her out quickly enough and they share a sweet gaze.

When George brings all their food out, Steve’s stomach grumbles loudly at the smell of the cheesy and tomato aroma of the lasagna and spaghetti. His eyes bug out at how big the portions are, Emmie wasn’t lying.

Debbie and George are speechless at how fast Steve devours his food. They’re too busy watching Steve to see Emmie has barely touched her fried chicken sandwich.

Steve’s attention is finally brought back to Emmie when she asks Debbie for a to-go box and sees how she’s timid and hasn’t engaged with him at all during the meal. _What’s going on with her?_

But when Debbie clears their plates and asks Emmie if she wants a shake, she perks up and smiles agreeably.

A chocolate shake is plopped down in front of Emmie and instead of one straw, there’s two sticking out. Debbie smugly smiles, “Enjoy you two.”

Emmie goes redder than a maraschino cherry, she’s so embarrassed by Debbie putting her on the spot like that. Is she purposely trying to help Emmie live in her own rom-com movie with this cliché _share a milkshake_ trick?

Emmie coughs to clear her throat. “It-it’s really good. You-you should try it.” Emmie nods towards his straw. She leans down to take another sip and moans at the rich, creamy chocolate flavor.

Steve takes her encouragement and leans down for a sip, but he bonks heads with Emmie as she leans up.

“Ow….you have a hard head.” Emmie chuckles at Steve. _You have a hard head?_ One of the dumbest things she's ever said.

Steve mumbles out a sorry. They stare each other down as they take another sip together. Both their cheeks blush at their cute moment. A few more moments pass and things settle between the soulmates. There's a peaceful silence now between them.

Emmie hates how much she’s enjoying her cliché moment with Steve. But she’s never experienced something like this with a guy before. Besides Bucky. Why does Steve always make her miss Bucky more and more? Think of him constantly?

Then that makes her realize what she's been wanting this entire night, expecting really. And he hasn't given it to her, and she's not sure he will, which makes her angry. And dejected. 

Their moment is cute short with Emmie pushing the milkshake away, closer to Steve, as she stares blankly at the counter. She grows sadder each time she thinks of Bucky these days.

Earlier on, her thoughts of him were filled with his beautiful smile, his hearty laugh, his soft, gentle touch, and his intoxicating kisses. Thinking of him always brought her smiles and it could change her whole mood around for the day. But now?

Now thinking of Bucky makes her crestfallen. Even desolate.

She is in constant paranoia over his safety and well-being, which causes her too much unneeded stress.

And any beautiful memory she has of him is tainted with her dispirited longing for him due to the continued time apart.

And Steve? His sudden reappearance makes her question everything that has happened in the last six months. And her short-lived contentment on this so-called date has quickly faded into an abysmal amount of nothing.

She’s trying so hard to just focus on Steve, but _she just can’t._

She’s brought out of her stupor when she sees a small puddle of tears growing on the counter.

She can feel Steve's eyes bore into her. She whispers out knowing Steve an hear her, “Can we go home p-please?" She thinks of an excuse to make leaving more acceptable right now. "I-I gotta feed the c-cat.”

Emmie just wants to be alone. She wants to cry in solitude and miss Bucky and feel her aching heart.

Steve doesn’t understand how her mood shifted this quickly and she’s overwhelmed with tears. He feels helpless, but he wraps his arm around her lower back and leans down to speak close to her ear, “Of course, sweetheart.”

Steve helps Emmie into her jacket and pulls a $50 bill and lays it on the counter.

Debbie had been peering around the corner since she gave them the milkshake in hopes of seeing the cutest couple moment possible, but everything suddenly turned sour. Her heart is breaking for Emmie as she sees her girl breakdown in her diner. _No tears allowed at the diner, _she remembers telling Emmie that first night to help her to stop crying. But tonight seems like it's something heavy and too emotional to ignore.

As they were preparing to leave, she stepped up to protest Steve’s overly generous payment, “Oh you’re too polite, but it’s on the house—”

“Thank you for taking care of us ma’am.” Steve nods firmly, knowing he needs to get Emmie out of there.

“It’s Debbie.”

Thank you, Debbie. Tell George we said thanks. Have a nice weekend.”

Steve steadily leads Emmie out of the diner and hopefully the quiet apartment will calm Emmie down. All he knows is that he doesn’t know what to do. And it terrifies him. But he’s faced worse situations with a level head, how hard could it be dealing with his soulmate?

"Can you tell me what's going on sweetheart?" He asks after they settle into the car.

She ignores him for a beat before replying, knowing she's too exhausted to care about hurting his feelings. She's too hurt to care. "I-I...I thought I was worth an apology but...but I guess not."

Steve mentally curses at himself, that was the first thing Natasha said for him to do and he failed. Badly.

_This is definitely going to be harder than he imagined._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! <3 let me know what you all think :D sending virtual hugs to everyone!


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will things get better for Steve and Emmie?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovelies! Here's some cute fluff. I hope you enjoy!

**Previously…**

_Steve steadily leads Emmie out of the diner and hopefully the quiet apartment will calm Emmie down. All he knows is that he doesn’t know what to do. And it terrifies him. But he’s faced worse situations with a level head, how hard could it be dealing with his soulmate?_

_"Can you tell me what's going on sweetheart?" He asks after they settle into the car._

_She ignores him for a beat before replying, knowing she's too exhausted to care about hurting his feelings. She's too hurt to care. "I-I...I thought I was worth an apology but...but I guess not."_

_Steve mentally curses at himself, that was the first thing Natasha said for him to do and he failed. Badly._

_This is definitely going to be harder than he imagined._

_~~_

The drive home is awkward. Painful even.

Emmie leans as far away from Steve as she possibly can, pressing herself up against the window. Her breath fogs up the window where her lips rest and she releases a shaky sigh. She hates how her emotions always get the best of her, how she just cries at every inopportune time, but she can’t help it.

As much as there were sweet moments tonight, Steve has really hurt her feelings.

She just wanted an apology. Is that too much to ask for?

She’s been through enough and he never checked up on her after their explosive first meeting. She let’s a few more tears escape and trickle down her cheeks.

She sniffles as she hides her face further into her shoulder against the window. She hates how Steve is seeing her fall apart so easily.

His huge but gentle hand brings her out of her thoughts when she feels him lace their fingers together in her lap. He squeezes her hand in comfort.

That’s when she realizes the car isn’t moving anymore and he’s parked outside your friend’s apartment.

Emmie needs to get out of this car immediately and away from the stifling tension, but Steve locks the door when he sees her move for the door handle.

She looks at him incredulously, questioning him with her shocked eyes as to why he would lock her in the car with him.

Steve pulls their hands into his lap as he looks at her softly, “Sweetheart, will you hear me out? Please?”

Emmie doesn’t move. She doesn’t look away. She just stares at him and awaits his next words.

At her silence, he brings his left hand and cups her cheek tenderly. He rubs his thumb along her cheekbone and lightly lays his forehead against her.

His whispered words hit her right in the gut, “I’m so sorry sweetheart. I’m so sorry for what I put you through. You didn’t deserve any of that.” He places a kiss on her temple as she lets out a sob.

He rests his forehead back on hers, “I…I thought I was protecting you by staying away. But it just made you hate me more.”

Emmie sighs sadly, trying to hide the truth he’s exposing. “It’s okay that you do. You were right to call me out in the park. And I don’t blame you.”

She whines as another sob escapes her lips, “I haven’t done right by you since we met. My ma is probably turning in her grave as I say this.”

That finally gets a soft, wet chuckle out of Emmie. He continues speaking, “I hope you can give me a second chance. I want to make it up to you. I’m so sorry sweetheart.”

He presses the most affectionate kiss on her forehead and then starts to softly wipe away the tears from her face.

Emmie’s heart is in her throat, she can’t speak, she can’t breathe regularly. She moves both her arms to wrap around Steve’s neck snuggly, not allowing any ounce of air to separate them. She believes if she holds him tight enough, he can’t leave her again.

Steve doesn’t waste a second and pulls the rest of her body into his lap in the driver’s seat. Emmie’s too caught up with the heavy tears leaking from her eyes to notice he picked her up to maneuver her into his lap.

But the feel of him against her body, him holding her securely and offering a comforting touch is all she has ever wanted. She cries harder against his chest as he runs his hand along her spine soothingly. She grips harder on collar and prays this isn’t a dream that she’ll wake up from any moment.

“I’m here sweetheart, I ain’t goin’ anywhere. Shhhh I’m here.” He whispers gingerly into her left ear.

“D-don’t leave me, _please_ don’t leave me.” Emmie begs as her tears soak into his neck.

Steve can’t answer her truthfully, because he doesn’t know when the next time he’ll be able to see her, so he just holds her firmly to his chest and places a kiss into her hair.

But he can’t deny hearing her beg for him pulls at his heart strings. Her full-blown break down has been a reality check for Steve, as he didn’t understand how invested Emmie is into their bond. He assumes most of it is her missing Bucky but seeing her unravel like this has torn through his heart.

He knows they can’t sit in the car all night so he easily moves them into the building and up to the apartment. He pulls her keys out of her purse and lets them in, only for Oreo to rub up against Steve’s leg as he makes his way to the couch.

Emmie has enough consciousness to straddle his lap but then clutch to his neck once more. She feels his arms wrap around her body. He fits his face into her neck as his hands caress her back, working on calming her distressed, tensed body.

He doesn’t let go when he feels her sink further into his embrace. But he closes his eyes at the soft touch of her fingers lightly scratching the back of his neck. He hasn’t had a woman’s touch like this since…well he doesn’t want to admit it because thinking of that brief moment in Germany under a bridge with a certain blonde makes him feel like a shit soulmate.

He finally has his soulmate in his arms, and he isn’t gonna let anything get in the way of ruining that.

Emmie jars him out of his head with a soft murmur, “Wa-was that you in the park?”

_She’s goin’ for it._ He can’t avoid it now. He sucks in a deep breath, preparing for this questioning.

“Yes.” He answers, feeling ashamed.

He doesn’t expect her to cling tighter to his body, and he doesn’t reject her when she does.

“Why’d you leave me there?” She whispers into his ear.

Steve holds her tighter this time, afraid his answer will make her run.

“Happy was with you…I-I wanted to be alone with you.” He hopes his poor excuse will be enough for her.

He can feel her nod against his neck. “Don’t do that again.” She kisses right below his ear.

He responds seriously, “Yes ma’am.”

Her ability to forgive astounds him, she truly has the largest heart.

“Can…can you just hold me p-please?”

“Always, sweetheart. Always.” And that’s something he could never lie about.

“Don’t let go.” She pleads him.

“I won’t.” He reassures.

Steve holds her. Holds her with every protective bone in his body. He doesn’t understand how and why he put this off. Having her in his arms will never get old. It makes him feel like things are starting to make sense again.

He doesn’t understand why but she brings him this peace he hasn’t ever felt. Even before the war. He was just the anxious little guy waiting for his moment to jump in and protect. To save. To stop that bully.

And since Sarah died, he was never the same. He has been so alone most of his life, he’s forgotten what it’s like to have people. To have that _someone._

He knows he has Nat and Sam and Clint, but having Emmie and Buck? That’s on an entirely different level. They are his reasons for breathing. For living. For making it through each mission, his reasons for coming home alive. He isn’t ever going to give that up now that he knows they are both alive and waiting to be with him.

Steve runs his fingers through her silky hair. He smiles as she hums against his touch. He can _definitely _get used to this.

Emmie has calmed down and her breathing has slowed. She’s content. She’s feeling safe and warm in her man’s arms. _This feels right._

Her head lays on his right shoulder and Steve reaches up with his left hand to brush some stray hairs behind her ear, with a feather light touch.

But his breath hitches as he sees the scar surrounding her ear. The scar is raised, jagged, and a deep pink, showing it’s still in the stages of healing.

Emmie grips his wrist that’s tracing her scar tightly and she closes her eyes as heavy tears slide down her cheeks. She’s ashamed, she’s disgusted, she’s frightened, she’s…terrified he won’t want to be with her.

But the feeling of his lips tracing the softest kisses along her scar causes her to let out a whimper and she falls into his chest.

The scar makes her feel ugly, and undeserving of someone as perfect and beautiful as Steve. Women like Emmie don’t end up with men like Steve…beautiful people end up with beautiful people. And she is the farthest thing from beautiful.

“It’s hideous,” Emmie chokes out into his chest.

Steve pulls her head back up to his face and it hurts to see her so troubled.

He leans over to her left ear and speaks softly, “Far from it sweetheart.” He kisses her temple.

Steve starts to move off the couch as he wants to be somewhere more comfortable and with more space for his large build. She slings her arms around his neck again and holds him to her. Steve’s shocked from the sudden affection and wraps her up in his arms. When she feels him scoot closer to the edge of the couch, she shrieks loudly in his ear, “Don’t pick me up!”

Steve’s puzzled why she’s acting out against him picking her up. He’s already picked her up before tonight and she didn’t say anything.

He’s standing straight up now with her clinging to him like a sloth clings to a tree. “I’m just gonna take you over to the bed, is that alright sweetheart? You need some rest and we…we can both lay down.” He proposes. Afraid she’ll reject his invitation to cuddle further.

“Just…just don’t drop me, please.”

Steve doesn’t know if he feels insulted by her questioning his strength. _She does know how strong he is, right?_

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He adds a small smile.

He lowers his hands to behind her thighs and easily lifts her to where their hips meet. Her legs wrap tightly around his waist and he notices Emmie’s breathing picks up while she’s suspended from the ground. He nozzles his nose into her hair and kisses her softly.

When he sits them down on the bed, he lays her tenderly down in the middle of the queen bed and then he follows suit by curling in behind her, becoming her big spoon.

Emmie tenses as he lays his hand on her hip and snuggles in close behind her so he stops. This gives her the moment to quickly turn around so she’s facing her soulmate. She doesn’t ever not want to be facing him. If she takes her eyes off him, she might lose him.

Steve smiles sweetly at his girl, and pulls her flush against his chest. She’s given him more than he’s expected thus far.

One hand rests on her lower back at the start of her backside, and the other supports her head. She gives him a watery smile and she rakes her fingers through his beard and up into his longer locks.

She pulls his face closer to hers, where their noses brush against each other. She can feel his warm breath waver over her lips and it’s calling to her, asking her to lean a little bit further.

She can smell the lasagna on his breath and it makes her smile. He hasn’t run or left her yet, after the disaster she has become this evening.

Emmie decides to go for it and tilts her head back slightly. She leans in until her lips graze against his rough, chapped ones. When she doesn’t feel his lips move against hers, she starts to retract and pull back, but the hand on her head pulls her back in.

He must have licked his lips in that spare moment because when he plants a sweet kiss on her waiting lips, his lips are smooth and slide across hers with ease.

Steve tightens his hold on her and sighs into her mouth as he continues to kiss his soulmate. He wasn’t expecting to kiss her tonight but he isn’t going to let her down.

Emmie is desperate for more, she’s already loving the feeling of his lips against hers. Her heart feels all warm and fuzzy when kissing him, and she’s only felt that way with Bucky. _This _is what being with your soulmate feels like.

Emmie feels her chest tighten up with emotions and she has to pull away to steady her breathing. Her breathing is just as erratic as her thoughts.

Steve is panting heavily as well and she softly giggles at the gigantic man wrapped around her out of breath from their first kiss.

She mutters, “I’ve waited six months for that.” She pecks his lips again.

He smirks, he can hear the relief and happiness in her voice. He teases her, “I waited almost 100 years swe—”

She shuts him up with a bruising kiss and she shoves herself even closer into his hold. She holds onto his brunette locks for dear life as she presses her face impossibly close to his.

The sweet, gentle, caring mood soon swiftly vanishes, and is replaced with a tension full of hunger, desperation, and angst. The two soulmates can’t grasp enough of each other, they can’t taste, breathe, and kiss each other fast enough, to help the reality sink in that they are together, again. That they have found each other and never want to let either go.

Steve moves to lay on top of her and slides easily between her legs that have opened up. Her spread legs invite him to position himself directly where he wants her most. Steve’s narrow hips fit like a glove, like piecing the last two puzzle pieces together, into her alluring body, into her awaiting hips.

Emmie wraps her legs around the back of his thick, muscular thighs and runs her hands up his back and into his hair.

When their hips touch so intimately for the first time, a wave of electricity livens Emmie’s body up and she can’t contain the breathy moan that she relinquishes. At the sound of her moan into his mouth, Steve rolls his hips and now hard member into the most precious part of her body.

He feels her jeans rub against him in just the right spot and he groans into her ear, where he then proceeds to place lingering kisses along her neck and then onto her collarbone.

Emmie doesn’t really know where their kiss turned so passionate, but she is rolling with it because she honestly didn’t think Steve had it in him. From how Bucky described him, he seemed like too much a saint to be able to kiss someone so fervently.

Steve moves his forearms to block Emmie in around her head and he’s able to roll his hips steadily against hers while he peppers her with urgent kisses.

Steve comes back to her lips and Emmie reaches up to bite his lower lip. Steve didn’t know this would be something that would turn him on, so he brings one hand down to grasp her hip tightly. His hand begins to slither to the curve of her backside until he feels a small weight in the middle of his back.

He stops all movement and takes his weight off Emmie as he props himself above her. He stills as he tries to figure out what’s on his back. He is _perplexed._

Emmie panics at his abrupt stop. “St-Steve?”

She was loving this moment with him and now she’s second guessing everything leading up to it. _Did she do something wrong?_

She runs her fingers lightly up his sides and she sees him slightly shiver. She didn’t expect to have this type of effect of him.

“Sweetheart…something’s on my back…” He says flatly but anxiously.

Emmie stops what she’s doing and peeks her head around his broad shoulders. What she sees makes her laugh out loud with ardor.

She closes her eyes and slams her head back onto the pillow as she continues to release a full belly laugh.

Steve is utterly confused how they went from 100 miles per hour to a parking lot. _What happened?!_

“_Steve_,” Emmie breaths out in between laughs, “I _wish _you could see this. Oreo has planted himself in the middle of your back and looks to be sleeping, unperturbed by our…intimate moment.” Emmie continues to laugh uncontrollably.

Steve shakes his head but a silly smile spreads easily across his face. He looks down at the most beautiful creature below him and he understands why Bucky said she needs to be protected at all costs.

Her angelic laughter flows deep into his body and fills his heart. He feels lighter around her, he feels like the world is better with her.

Emmie reaches around his shoulders and tries to move Oreo but the cat doesn’t budge.

Steve screeches like a little school girl, “AH!”

“What what what?!” Emmie worries.

“I think…he dug his claws into me…”

“OMG could this moment get any better?” Emmie laughs harder.

“It can,” Steve replies and then places a tender kiss that makes Emmie mold into his embrace.

Emmie breaks away, “That will _always_ make anything better. Just FYI.” She pecks his nose.

Steve smiles back at her. She seems to have this uncanny ability to make him forget everything around him, to bring out this inner light from deep within that he hasn’t felt in a very long time.

But he does need to get this cat off him _now._

He pushes himself off the bed and stands straight up and the sudden movement forces Oreo to abandon his place on Steve’s back. He jumps down to the floor and he scurries away into the living room.

Steve finally joins Emmie in her laughter. They laugh heartily at the absurdity of the weirdest cat he has ever encountered.

Emmie reaches out and grabs onto his wrist. She pulls him back down onto the bed, to where they are laying side by side and she is curled into his chest. One of her new favorite places to be.

She places her palm onto his cheek and pulls him into a sweet, quick kiss.

She sighs as she further relaxes into his hold and she puts her hands on his chest. Feeling his chest raise and fall steadily makes her feel safe and secure. She can feel her energy dwindling, a calmness taking over. Emmie can feel the exhaustion of the week quickly taking over and it isn’t helping she’s wrapped up in the warmest arms, against the most gorgeous body that is Steve.

Steve can feel her breathing evening out and he smiles softly at her finding comfort in his embrace.

Emmie breaks the silence, speaking slightly above a whisper. “How much longer do I have you?”

Steve holds her tighter, not wanting to face reality. She broke their little bubble and he’s wishing she hadn’t.

“I’m sorry sweetheart, but I should probably get going soon.”

Emmie sadly sighs and clutches to him even closer. “Well…can you stay until I’m asleep? I just…don’t want to see you leave me.” She shrinks further into herself.

Steve’s heart breaks. He really has done a number on her.

“Of course I’ll stay.” He places a delicate kiss to her forehead.

She mumbles out as her eyes close, “Thank you for coming back to me.”

“Always…good night sweetheart.” He runs his fingers through her hair and places a caring kiss to her temple.

“Night Herc.”

_Herc?_

Steve has no clue what that means but he finds the smallest smile on her lips as she fades into a restful sleep. He’ll have to ask her next time what that means.

He doesn’t want to leave her, but he needs to get going. As much as Steve wants to spend the night curled up with her, he wants to take it slow with her. She deserves that much, to be treated right by her soulmate. And he sure isn’t going to go another six months without seeing her again. He’s already thinking of staying in New York and planning the next time he can take his girl out.

Steve tucks the blanket around her body and brushes a few hairs out of her face. She looks content, and he wants her to stay that way forever. He already likes seeing her like this and wants to do everything he can to preserve it.

He finds a pen and paper and write a short note down for her to find in the morning and leaves it on her nightstand. 

Steve takes one last look at his peaceful, sleeping soulmate before he steps out of the apartment and into the night. And each step is filled with more hope that the next day will be better, all because of one special soulmate of his.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies!! So so sorry for the delay...I've had a really rough past couple of months. Lost my job, had to move home, and had a death in the family, so writing was hard. But I finally got around to this chapter, it's longer than most. I hope it was worth the wait. Thank you thank you so much for sticking by and being patient with me. I have so many ideas for this story and I can't wait to bring them to light. 
> 
> Thank you also for the wonderful comments on the last chapter!! Your comments are giving me life, I want to do this story and my amazing readers justice. Thank you for sticking around! Love you all <3
> 
> I want to give a special shout out to CJ/OddBall for checking up on me multiple times during my silence, it meant the world to me that someone was thinking of me during those dark two months. Sending love and hugs <3 :) 
> 
> TW for this chapter: fluff, angst, smut, light swearing
> 
> Happy reading! <3 :)

“Jellybeannnnnn! Jellybean! Where are you, Jellybean?!”

Emmie rolls her eyes at Happy’s too chipper attitude. She covers her ears as he continues to call out to her…at 7:09am.

It’s a Monday morning, why can’t he be normal and not scream excitedly in her general direction?

Emmie sighs, not wanting to be mad at Happy. It’s not his fault that his name matches his personality. She can hear he’s closer, so she doesn’t need to yell.

“What is it Happy?” Emmie forces a smile in hopes he believes her fake excitement.

At her response, she can hear him hurriedly pad down the hall. She also hears him breathing heavily. _Why is he panting?_

Emmie woke up too late this morning to go out to get coffee so she’s making it here. Hopefully Clint isn’t too mad. It’s been nice getting into a routine with him in the mornings.

She gets her answer when he rounds the corner and makes his way closer to her in the kitchen.

In his arms is this beautiful bouquet of purple, pink, and white flowers. Emmie knows it’s about 4 feet tall, and it’s this huge, wide bouquet, sitting in this gorgeous crystalized glass vase. Her mood immediately brightens just from the beautiful stems sitting in that vase in Happy’s arms. No matter who they’re for.

Emmie approaches Happy, “Do you need some help Hap?”

He shakes his head adamantly and pants out, “Nah nah jellybean, I got this…I got th—”

The vase almost slips out of his grip and onto the floor, but Emmie is there to help catch it and gently place it on the island counter.

Happy takes his hand to swipe a bead of sweat from his forehead and straightens out his suit. Once he looks back up at Emmie, he says, “These are for you Jellybean! They just arrived. Delivered for a Ms. Emmie Smith.”

“…They’re for…me? Uh….who is it from? Is there a card Hap?” Emmie asks suspiciously.

Happy panics, “Yes, shit! Did I drop it on the way in? It was sitting in the flowers…” He starts searching frantically and back tracking. When he steps away, that’s when she sees the note stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

“Hap! Stop moving. Lift up your right foot.” He stops and she approaches him quickly, wanting to find out who these flowers are from.

“Wha—”

Happy doesn’t get a chance to question her command. He almost topples over when she bends over and pick his foot up to grab the small enveloped note.

Without wasting another moment, Emmie rips the envelope open and is met with neat, capitalized writing.

_SWEETHEART…YOU COULD HAVE PUSHED ME AWAY BUT YOU DIDN’T. LET ME TAKE YOU OUT ON A REAL FIRST DATE?_

_I’LL PICK YOU UP AT 7PM FRIDAY NIGHT. FORMAL ATTIRE REQUIRED._

She knows immediately who these flowers are from and she blushes profusely. She smiles sweetly as she thinks of the kind, gentle man who sent these.

The handwriting is the exact same as the note from Friday night, which she keeps with her letter from Bucky. Tucked away in the safest place. Where the words of her soulmates can’t be warped or taken from her.

_Thank you for reminding me what I’ve been missing. I’ll make it up to you sweetheart. See you soon. _

_-SGR_

Images of Steve holding and kissing her make her heart swell. How can she say no to him when he makes small gestures like this?

When she takes a better look at the types of flowers in the bouquet, her heart leapt. She definitely can’t say no to him. _Did Bucky tell him about her affinity with flowers?_

She admires the purple hyacinths, pink roses, and baby’s breath and takes a big sniff of the floral smells. All perfect choices for an apology. For saying _I’m _Sorry. And she wishes she could hug her Prince Charming at his thoughtful gift.

The waft of these flowers sinks in and she’s taken to her garden dreamland that has an overabundance of flowers, where she’s frolicking amongst the roses while holding hands with her boys and having a picnic at sunset and—

“Helllloooooo? Jellybean? You there?” Emmie is sadly interrupted from her daydreaming as Happy stands within her personal bubble, waving his hand in front of her face fanatically.

“Yes, hi, sorry Hap. Got lost there for a moment.” Emmie confesses.

She doesn’t hear Tony enter the kitchen, so she jumps when he speaks up, “Are you thinking about the boy you went on a date with on Friday?”

Emmie throws her hands up in the air as she jumps at his voice. She lets out a small yelp and whips around and gawks at Tony incredulously. _How does he know she went on a date? Nat said she took care of it…_

Tony continues and raises his hands in surrender, “Which I know nothing about.” He then props his chin in his hands as his elbows rest on the counter and he stares you down her answers.

“But how was it by the way? Did you kiss him? What’s he like?” His eyes drift to the large vase of beautiful stems. “Oh! Are those from him?” 

Tony wiggles his eyebrows suggestively wanting to know her latest dating life gossip. She has barely opened up to him so any small opening he has to her private life, he will gladly take. He is so invested in her these days. It can be annoying, but Emmie appreciates how much he cares, even if he can be overbearing most of the time.

Tony makes grabby hands at the letter in her hands, but Emmie is quick enough to clutch it close to her chest. Steve didn’t sign it, but Emmie knew Tony would stalk the hell out of the order and find out who sent it and have F.R.I.D.A.Y. detect the handwriting somehow. She has to keep Steve a secret, no matter what.

Tony whines and pinches his eyebrows in fake annoyance, “Booooo you’re no fun Starburst.”

“Don’t _start_ with me Tony. Do you even have anything planned for Pepper for Christmas?”

Emmie’s quick subject change got Tony to back off as he paled. “Uhhhh…I should probably get on that.”

“Yes you should,” both Emmie and Happy reply at the same time as Tony pulls out his phone. Emmie realizes he’s talking to his jeweler when he asks for ‘the most expensive necklace he has’, which makes her chuckle at Tony’s endearing yet predictable behavior.

Tony’s call is shorter than she expected. The jeweler must know what Tony likes. She turns to Happy and Tony, knowing she’ll score points by having both of them involved. “I need some time off at some point before Friday to go shopping…would you like to go with me?” Emmie asks faking innocence, knowing exactly what she is doing to them, without giving away the real reason why she needs to go shopping. She knows what answer she will get from them, knowing how much Tony loves to spend money and shop.

“Since I’m footing the bill, that’s a given. Plus, you know I have fantastic taste.” Tony says dramatically as he pretends to flip his long luscious locks.

Emmie doesn’t ever skip a chance to give Tony some shade. “You call Black Sabbath t-shirts with days old oil stains taste?”

F.R.I.D.A.Y. decides to chime in at the perfect time, with the perfect quip. “I believe the young kids these days would call that a…_burn._”

Happy is the first to start laughing but he fails at covering it up. Emmie on the other hand, falls down to the floor, roaring with laughter as Tony stands there in utter disbelief that his prized F.R.I.D.A.Y. has committed the highest form of treason.

“Air high five F.R.I.D.A.Y! That was EPIC!” Emmie beams from the floor, trying to catch her breath.

Tony gasps and can’t believe his ears. He stomps out of the kitchen muttering to himself how he’s going to fix F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s programming this week…but he also inwardly smiles at how Emmie has wormed her way into his heart. She fits so perfectly into his life and with his people. She’s this perfect ray of sunshine that has brought light effortlessly on the darkest of days. All he knows is he’s going to spoil her rotten for whatever shopping she needs.

~~

The next morning, Emmie makes her coffee time with Clint. She smiles brightly when she sees him face the front of the shop and she waves as she makes her way to the table in the back.

Emmie points to her ear to signal she has her hearing aid in, but purposely sitting on his right so she doesn’t have to strain herself.

“Chai tea latte for you, sunshine.”

Emmie chirps up at her nickname, “Yay! Thank you. Perfect morning for that.”

Clint jumps right into it, “Did something happen yesterday?” He was a tad worried when she didn’t show up but later figured out she never left the tower. But he couldn’t let her know he has been keeping tabs on her.

“Ugh sorry Clint, just totally slept in. Somehow was still exhausted from a weekend of nothing.” Emmie laughs into her lap.

“I wouldn’t call Friday night nothing.” Nat says smugly, as she appears out of nowhere and takes her seat next to Clint.

Emmie perks up and moves to stand up as she smiles broadly at the red head sitting across the table. “Nat!”

“Don’t get up. Trying to keep a low profile here.” Nat works to quiet down her friend, but keeping a light tone and her small smile. She also omits the part where there are more eyes on Emmie than Emmie knows about. She doesn’t need that extra anxiety on her plate. The extra eyes is mainly why Nat is there, to make a statement, to show who they will have to deal with if they make a move on Emmie.

Emmie claps her hand over her mouth. “Sorry sorry,” she mumbles into her palm. She releases her hand to speak softly, “But it’s been so long and I’m happy to see you!”

“Of course you missed me. I’m me.”

“Wow you sound too much like Tony.” Emmie shakes her head with a chuckle.

“Speaking of Tony, did he question you about the flowers you got?”

“…you know I got flowers?” Emmie asks in disbelief.

Nat just goes for the jugular and says, “Did you really think Steve sent you those flowers on his own?”

Emmie can feel her throat constrict and her eyes start to water. _Why does she always believe good things can happen to her? That people actually care for her?_

“Of course I did!” Emmie rasps out all defeated.

“Oh honey…” Nat pats her hand on the table, trying to comfort her slightly but also laughing inside at her indignant response.

Clint jumps in to hopefully save Emmie’s heart, “Steve really did want to send you flowers, it was his idea. He just didn’t know which ones to send. That’s where Nat stepped in.” Clint laughs to himself. “He’s…never known how to act around the ladies.”

“Oh…ok.” Emmie responds before the words register. She wants to believe him, but everyone keeps lying to her these days, so she doesn’t want to take that risk. But Clint is right, Steve always seems nervous and doesn’t know what to do. She just really hopes Steve sent those flowers.

_Wait…how did she help Steve? And how did Clint know about it too?_ _None of what they’re saying is making sense…_

“And I’m definitely telling the boys Sunshine compared you to Tony.” Clint says off handedly to Nat and laughs out and points a finger at Nat.

“Yeah yeah, enough enough.” Nat laughs it off too, knowing when to take a joke. She turns to Emmie, “You ready for your second date on Friday that requires some shopping?”

Emmie ignores the comment about the date. She isn’t surprised Nat knows. Nat promised she was going to keep tabs on her. But what Clint hinted at puzzles her.

Emmie starts to put two and two together, “Wait…what? The boys? What boys?”

Emmie asks confused. “Are you two like…together? I know you’re friends…but are-are there more people with you?”

Emmie turns to Clint and sees the regret in Clint’s eyes. She sees the spilled secrets that were supposed to be kept from her.

Clint knows immediately he just spilled the beans, that he blew his cover with her. Blew Nat’s cover. This is going to be hard to explain to Emmie…

He thought it was obvious when he mentioned he’s friends with Nat.

Clint signs, _Do you not realize who I am Sunshine?_

Emmie hands shake slightly as she signs, _Yeah, you’re Clint. My friend._

She stares at him like it’s obvious, like he just asked her the dumbest question.

Emmie sees Nat’s hands start to move in her periphery. _He’s Hawkeye. _

Emmie’s eyes go wide. What the hell!

And now it suddenly makes much more sense. Clint does look familiar now that Nat has revealed his identity. She didn’t know what he looked like out of uniform but now she can see it. She can see Hawkeye in Clint.

Emmie sees Nat playfully roll her eyes. “I couldn’t wait any longer while you pieced it together.”

Emmie glares at Clint. She decides to sign, even though she knows Nat can figure out what she’s saying. She wants to demonstrate her silent anger. She signs, _Have you been spying on me? For him?_

But Emmie’s underlying anger begins to rise. Her eyes water again, and she gives Nat the most disappointing look, “You’ve known where he’s been all this time…haven’t you? Both of you…” A few tears fall down her cheek as more realization hits. _Bucky…_

“You know where James is too, don’t you?” She croaks out, not wanting to believe the ugly truth.

Both Nat and Clint stay silent and don’t tear their eyes from Emmie. Their silence confirms her doubts.

Emmie quickly goes to grab her coat and wraps her scarf around her neck. Nat stops her by grabbing her wrist. Emmie isn’t getting away that easily.

Nat freezes Emmie with a meaningful gaze, “We were protecting you—”

Emmie rips her wrist out of Nat’s grasp, “Ya know…Everyone has been saying that lately but none of their actions are adding up.”

Emmie finishes getting dressed to brace for the cold air outside. Her tears dry on her cheeks, she’s more disappointed than sad. She’s fed up with the secrecy.

“I’ll see ya when I see ya.” She states flatly and almost jogs out of the café.

When Emmie exits, Clint groans and Nat sighs into her hands.

“I underestimated her…”

“We both did Nat…she deserves better. From all of us.”

Nat only nods, as an idea pops into her head, of how she can rebuild some trust.

~~

When Emmie gets to the lab that morning, she’s a glowering mess. She’s stomping around, bouncing her leg up and down with nervous energy, and hasn’t once cracked a smile.

Happy knew not to cross her when he saw her enter the lab this morning. He tucked his tail and turned around. He knew better to let her simmer down before approaching her with anything.

But Tony completely misses Emmie’s obvious distraught body language and proceeds with his day as usual.

He waltzes into the lab, not seeing Emmie angrily sulking at his desk.

“So Starburst, I need your help with something. We got some new blood coming in.”

That gets her attention. Something to distract her. Something she desperately needs right now. She really doesn’t want to sit with her anger all day.

“Alright Stark…why do we need more staff? You rarely bring anyone new on.” Emmie props her legs up on his desk while she leans back in his desk chair, as she tosses one of his favorite wrenches in the air to keep her hands busy.

Tony raises an eyebrow. She only uses his last name when things are off. He carries on as usual but his worry makes him suspicious of what’s wrong.

Hiding the truth from Emmie is useless. She knows when he’s lying and then she proceeds to ignore him until he tells the truth and he _hates _being ignored, especially by his Starburst.

Tony sighs, because she’s right. He _hates_ bringing people into his circle, especially for a role like this one.

“Happy needs to oversee the Tower when we are more permanent at the compound. I trust him more with the Tower than the new guy.”

“Or woman.”

He nods to acknowledge her, “Stop distracting me. And _you_…you need some extra protection with Happy not by your side.”

“Nooooo!” Emmie whines. “Why?! I’m not some damsel that needs saving all the time. I have F.R.I.D.A.Y. and you. That’s enough. Plus, it’ll only draw more attention. I don’t want more attention.” Emmie crosses her arms in a huff as she leans further back into the chair.

Tony guffaws, “I like it when you get bossy. You know, you look better at my desk than I do. It suits you.”

“I’d hope an $11,000 office chair suits me,” Emmie sasses back.

Tony finally addresses her abnormal behavior, “Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or somethin’? It’s not even 8am and you’re sassier than me.”

“Just had to deal with some assholes at the café this morning…” Emmie grumbles out.

“How about you channel…whatever you got goin’ on to help me select some new staff?”

Emmie sighs loudly, “Finnnneeeee. F.R.I.D.A.Y. please project our potential unqualified, lame, dumb, loser candidates.”

“That’s the spirit Starburst! Even though those were pathetic insults.” Tony projects sarcastically but also excitedly. Sassy Emmie is his vibe.

F.R.I.D.A.Y. responds with an upbeat tone, “Would be my pleasure. Right away Miss Emmie.”

“Why are you nicer to her than me?! I _built_ you!” Tony yells up at the ceiling.

“Because manners are in her vocabulary sir.” F.R.I.D.A.Y. refutes.

Tony throws his head back as he groans loudly. “I knew I shouldn’t have made you as smart as me…”

Emmie finally cracks a smile and a small giggle at his dramatics. Which makes Tony smile, because anytime Emmie smiles, Tony is happy.

F.R.I.D.A.Y. interjects and begins the slideshow of candidates. “First up, we have…”

~~

It’s Thursday already and Emmie still doesn’t have a dress. She worries she won’t have the time to find the perfect dress for her date night because Tony has been keeping her extra busy the past two days. All this time being spent on reviewing candidates, handling his schedule, and planning the next few weeks leading up to the holidays.

Her time with Steve has been minimal, limited at that. It hasn’t been planned and it sure hasn’t been pretty. Steve has been a source of stress and he’s sadly been the catalyst for some major life changes she’s still adjusting to.

Emmie just wants _one_ night to be normal and to go right. For once. Because she can feel it with Steve. She can feel the pull and the connection with him. And she wants it. She hangs onto to the rare, tender encounters they’ve shared and she forces herself to think of those over the other, more painful ones.

The few sweet spare moments they’ve shared have been that. Few. And sweet. And from the moment her eyes met his in Bucharest for that first time, she knew he was going to be special.

She can’t put her finger on it, but Steve has this…this… undeniable _thing_ about him that she’s never felt with anyone else.

He’s tall, muscular, and charmingly handsome, but how he looks at her? Like she’s the sole person in this entire universe who can take away all his pain while bringing him immense joy, who can solve all his problems, who has the answer to everything. That’s when she’s seen that adoring twinkle in his eyes in the few private gazes they’ve shared.

And those fleeting moments are what Emmie is hanging onto. Even if by a single thread.

So, when Tony interrupts her in her office working on her afternoon tasks to go shopping, she doesn’t know what to think.

“Starburst! Stop what you’re doing.”

“Wha—”

Tony walks over to her chair and yanks her out of her seat. His smile is splitting across his face he’s so eager to show Emmie what he did for her. “I’ve got a surprise for you. In the common area.”

Emmie looks at him hesitantly, “Uhhhhh, sure?”

Tony hurriedly drags her to the common area by her wrist, too much excitement running through him.

Emmie questions, “Tony, what’s going—”

When Emmie finally sees what’s in front of her, she thinks she might cry.

“Since I work you too much and you need an outfit for your date, I thought I’d bring the shopping to you.”

There stands a rack of about 10 different floor length dresses, lined up for Emmie to try. With a stylist waiting to help.

And then to top it off, Happy enters in with a bottle of champagne and three glasses.

“Jellybean! We’re gonna make you look great for your date. But first, a glass?”

Emmie takes the champagne reluctantly, “Am I being punked or something?”

“That is a negative Miss Emmie,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. states.

Emmie continues, “No catch? At all?”

“None. This is my treat Emmie. I need to spoil someone and you’re the best one for it.” Tony puts his hand on Emmie’s lower back and directs her to the rack of dresses.

“Now, let’s have some fun! Oh, Happy and I have final approval.”

Emmie rolls her eyes and laughs, “Tony, I don’t need your approval. This isn’t prom night or anything.”

“Well then this is…winter formal. And I’m buying, so there.”

Emmie bites her tongue, not wanting to fall into his trap. “Whatever you say Tone.”

She knows he hates that nickname, so it usually gets him to back off. When he groans, she laughs internally, knowing it did the trick.

“Watch it young lady!” Tony playfully reprimands, adding a wink.

Emmie takes a breath, knowing dress shopping has never been a pleasant experience for her. She’s just hoping these dresses fit. _Here goes nothin…_

~~

Eight dresses have been tried and eight dresses have been nixed.

It’s either been the shape, the color, or the fabric. And nothing has felt right for Emmie. Or her audience.

Emmie walks back to the makeshift changing area with a defeated sigh, to take off the current dress, knowing her chances of finding the right dress are dwindling. She looks at the two remaining choices and she sends a silent prayer that one of them works.

Her eyes shift to the black silky, elegant gown on the hanger, that has a square neckline and a plunging back. Emmie loves anything black because she can hide her flaws easily and wants to appear as slim as possible, but she can’t lie, the backless dress is frightening. It would require going braless and she doesn’t have the proper resources for this type of dress. Being bustier than most makes backless dresses harder to pull off.

But Emmie shrugs her shoulders, not having a single care at the moment. She’s learned that Tony has a giving heart and if the last two dresses don’t work, he will stop at nothing to find her the perfect gown.

Tony had worked his magic and said that F.R.I.D.A.Y. scanned Emmie and took all her measurements before the dresses were ordered and so they all should be perfect, if not close to, fits.

The stylist is steps ahead of Emmie and had the nipple coverings and boob tape ready for this dress. She explained how they work and what to do and once Emmie finishes fixing herself up, her chest feels more supported than she expected.

The black gown slips on easily and it zips up the side. Emmie has not been facing the mirror when she puts the dress on so once she’s all secured in the gown, she turns around to take in the finished look.

When Emmie sees herself in the black gown, she surprises herself and doesn’t hate it as much as she thought she might. It doesn’t cling to her rolls on her stomach too much and it cinches at her waist, or it appears it does, due to the form of the dress. She starts to think she might like this more than she wants to.

Emmie thinks it’s too formal for the evening with the long train and high neckline, but she’ll let her protective personal entourage decide that.

When she steps around the corner, she’s met with cheers.

“Jellybeannnnn…you look so elegant. You look perfect, I need to document this.” Happy says as he pulls out his phone and then proceeds to take 20 photos all from different angles. Emmie giggles at his antics, he can be such a proud parent sometimes.

“I’m buying you this regardless if you wear it tomorrow night. It’ll be perfect for one of my galas.” Tony chirps with a large smile.

Emmie blushes as she twirls slowly, “You-you don’t think it’s too revealing? Or…unflattering?”

Tony scrunches his face in disgust, like you just insulted him. “Absolutely not. Your date’s jaw will be on the floor. If it isn’t, he won’t be taking you.”

Emmie turns bright red, still not used to compliments. And Tony can see her hesitancy on this dress.

“Do you not like it Starburst?”

“I…I’m not sure. It’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong…but it feels too…_sophisticated _for me—”

“You look beautiful Starburst, but if you’re not 100% about it, then on to the next.”

All Emmie can do is nod, she is fretting too much about looking like the perfect girlfriend—

_Girlfriend? Where did that come from…he hasn’t even asked her yet!_

She shakes her head as she glides back to the dressing area. The stylist helps her out of the black gown, but Emmie laughs when Tony yells, “Add it to my tab” to the stylist and she starts to put the gown into a protective bag.

This gives Emmie time to look at the last dress. _It’s beautiful_ and it might be her last hope. The shape will do wonders to hide her insecurities and she really likes the design.

That’s when she notices a note pinned to the hanger. In small, legible cursive, it reads:

_Picked this one myself. It’s perfect for the occasion. _

_Trust me – Steve won’t be able to take his hands or eyes off you. He likes you in red._

_Enjoy your night with him Emmie. _

_ – Nat_

_P.S. Spa weekend soon_

Emmie genuinely smiled. She had to give Nat credit, she knows how to get access anywhere. And how to make a gesture. She hasn’t known Nat very long but deep down, she knows this is the closest Emmie would get to an apology. And she’s okay with that. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want an explanation of what the hell has been going on with her and Steve and Clint…

She hides the note in her bag for safe keeping as she eagerly waits for the stylist to get the dress ready for her to step into.

The moment Emmie is zipped up and she turns to the mirror, she gasps. For someone who rarely thinks or feels she’s beautiful, she’s feeling regal in this gown. The loves the fabric and how it sits on her curves and pulls in at her waist. The color brings out her hair and her eyes…she_ knows_ this is _the_ dress.

She doesn’t waste another moment and she rounds the corner to show Tony and Happy with an extra pep in her step.

At the sight of Emmie in the last gown, Happy spits out his champagne and Tony misses pouring more champagne into his flute and it spills onto the floor.

Their drastic reactions cause Emmie to doubt her love for the dress but it’s quickly reassured when Tony regains his composure.

“I think we found a winner, Starburst.”

~~

Pepper helps Emmie with the finishing touches of her look, placing the beautiful diamond necklace around her neck. Her simple drop diamond earrings pair perfectly with the necklace.

To show off the necklace and her earrings, Emmie’s hair is pulled up into a beautiful but slightly messy bun, with a few tendrils of hair falling down and framing her face.

“You are gonna knock his socks off honey, you look _gorgeous_.”

Emmie blushes, “Thanks Pepper…I hope so? I really want to look perfect for him.”

“Oh he _will._ And remember…you’re already perfect, even without the dress.” Pepper kisses the top of her head. “I’ll leave you to it. Go get ‘em Em. And have fun.” She winks before she walks out.

Emmie closes her eyes at her soft kiss, soaking up the comfort Pepper gives her.

Emmie rubs the soul mark on her left wrist, thinking fondly of her other soulmate. Who has a tender heart besides his rough façade, the softest eyes and the sweetest smile, and a gentle touch that reassures her of all her worries.

She whispers to herself as her eyes wet with unshed tears, “Bucky…if you’re watching over…please let tonight go well. I just ask for _one night_ with him. To help strengthen our bond. And…and Bucky?”

Emmie feels one single tear slowly trickle down her cheek. The words now spilling out of her with pure sadness and despair, “_God_, I wish you were here. I wish I could feel you in my arms, c-could hold your hand, and kiss those soft l-lips of yours. I wish you could be here with us. So all three of us could be together….

Emmie lets out a shaky breath, “I think of you everyday. _Every damn minute of every day._” She looks up to the ceiling, like she’s speaking to an almighty being who will grant her every hope and wish. “I’ll see you soon my love. My dream boat. My handsome hunk. I love you with all my heart.”

Emmie blows a kiss into the air and then pulls down the sleeve on her left wrist and places a linger kiss to his mark. Hoping to send the love through their bond if possible, even though she doesn’t know where he is.

She covers her soul marks back up, grateful that the one dress that she loved has long sleeves to keep her protected.

She’s suddenly interrupted by her phone vibrating on the vanity. She rushes to brush the tears away, “Ah fuck no more crying, no more crying.” Emmie slaps her cheeks to waken her up and jolt the tears back inside her.

A variety of emotions rush through her as she reads the text from an unknown number.

_Clint is picking you up. Black Audi sedan. Tinted windows. Be down in five._

_Shit,_ Emmie needs to pull herself together. She doesn’t know who sent the text but it’s most likely Nat, as Steve would have called her sweetheart, or signed his initials.

She grabs her clutch, puts her phone, wallet, and lipstick inside. She steels herself for one moment before seeing her soulmate tonight.

~~

**Wakanda**

Bucky sleeps soundly in his cryochamber. One would think he is dead lying there, but there’s the slight movement of his chest, up and down, to say otherwise. His face is neutral as he sleeps, his hair laying peacefully to the side.

It’s the early early morning and the guards outside the laboratory stand frozen, ready for anything. But they are shaken out of their duty when loud, erratic, beeping noises coming from his chamber.

Before they’re able to call the princess for assistance, she’s racing around the corner in her pajamas at the random spike of his vitals.

“Out of the way!” She yells at her guards.

Once Shuri is facing Sargent Barnes, she sees him briefly spasming and his soul mark glowing before he settles back into stillness. She moves swiftly and presses the controls to help regulate him more but she doesn’t need to. He’s actually better than he was before. She moves to her controls and studies what just happened.

She walks up to his chamber and stalks around in circles a few times as she ponders. She speaks out loud to herself as she tsks at the man behind the glass, “What did you do Sargent Barnes?”

When she sees the pineapple soul mark still glowing, but not as brightly, it becomes clear.

She smirks, “It’s the girl! It has to be. Nothing like this happened when Captain Rogers has visited.”

She speaks to an unmoving Sargent Barnes, “You have a very special soul mate. And a powerful one at that. I’d say you’re a lucky man.”

Shuri walks out of the room and shakes her head, “Broken white boy isn’t so broken anymore…I’m gonna call Stark tomorrow.”

~~

**Manhattan**

Emmie sits nervously in the passenger seat next to Clint as he drives her to her date. Her hands fidget in her lap, as she awaits to see her Prince Charming.

“Are you going to tell me where you’re taking me? Or what I’m doing?” Emmie inquires.

“Nope.” Clint pops the P and keeps on driving, swerving in and out of slower moving cars.

“Ughhhhh you and your secrecy…” Emmie resigns and slumps against the passenger seat window as she watches them whiz by pedestrians and other cars.

“You know, I am sorry about all of that…you might not want to hear it but I promise we were protecting you. Are still protecting you.”

Emmie sighs and nods solemnly. If that’s all she’s going to get, then she has to move on from it. She isn’t happy about all the lies and deceit, but she trusts them enough to know that they are doing what they can to protect her. Nat did save her life and rescue her…

She turns slowly back to Clint, wanting to change the subject. “Will he…will he think I’m beautiful?”

Clint doesn’t immediately respond but Emmie feels the car slow down to a stop outside of the…the _Lincoln Center?_

Clint puts the car in park and smirks, “How about you ask him yourself.” He nods his head towards a tall, built man walking confidently to the car.

Emmie squints her eyes slightly to see clearly through the tinted windows and when she recognizes her soulmate, she gasps softly.

_Good god, does he look incredible._

She will definitely want to see him in a suit again, with that bow tie, looking all crisp and sharp and…

And she can’t take her eyes off him as he saunters closer. She sees him wink and smile at her through the glass. _He really is something’…_

“Sunshine…before you go, I need you to wear something.”

Emmie doesn’t want to take her eyes off her soulmate but she reluctantly does when she hears Clint dig around for something in his jacket pocket. He pulls out a small device and holds it up to her eye level.

“This is face changing technology. Basically, it projects a different face over yours. Just extra precaution while with Rogers.” Emmie raises her eyebrow in question. She didn’t know there was such tech. “He’s wearing it too. You can take it off once inside the booth. Tony has a projector in place that shields who is really in the box. The audience looking in won’t see you two.”

“I guess that’s pretty cool…” Emmie takes the device in her hand at the same time that Steve opens her door.

She turns quickly to him and she’s instantly lost in his eyes once they lock. She’s missed those baby blues and his genuine smile takes over his face. She can tell he’s lost too, because he goes still, and he can’t tear his eyes away from hers.

Emmie is the first to move out of their trance and she raises her hand to his cheek. She rubs her thumb along his face and that’s what gets his attention. He reaches into the car and helps her move slowly out of her seat to stand on the curb with her back against the car doorframe. He notices she stands slightly taller now, easier for him to kiss at.

Steve finally gets a good look at her gown. Her entire ensemble really. And he can’t breathe, she’s stunning.

The hair, the jewelry, her natural makeup, and that _dress_…showing off her curves, just what he likes about her.

He loves seeing her shoulders, her collarbones, her neck, her dainty hands hanging by her sides, and the high waist line making her look taller than she is.

“Sweetheart….my _god_ you’re-you’re…_breathtaking._”

Emmie blushes deep red but she can’t take her eyes away from him.

She purrs, “You…you look so dashing, _Captain._”

God has she missed calling him that.

To hide his blush, Steve leans down to brush the softest kiss against her lips. He pulls away slowly, hoping she brings him back in, and he smiles into her kiss when she reaches her hand to the back of his neck and kisses him passionately. Steve’s hands go to rest on her hips, as he deepens the kiss. She moans as he does so and with her open lips, he slyly slips his tongue in against hers.

Emmie clutches tighter to him and wraps both arms around his neck. She forgot what cloud nine feels like. She never wants to stop kissing him, if that’s possible.

They are so enamored with each other they don’t notice Clint throwing a pity party two feet away.

Clint pretends to gag as he listens to the couple moan at each other and then throws his head back against the head rest harshly, “Why! Why why whyyyy did I get stuck with chauffeur duty…”

In his anger, he slams his palm into the horn and the loud blaring sound makes the couple jump. They giggle as they stare adoringly into each other’s eyes.

He kisses her forehead reassuringly and goes to grab the device out of her hand. He sticks it to her temple and turns it on, changing his soulmate’s face completely.

He does the same for himself and plants his hand on Emmie’s lower back to lead her away. “Shall we sweetheart?”

Emmie lets out a hefty cackle, “It’s so weird hearing you say that but it’s not your face.” She throws her hands over her mouth to try to muffle her laughter.

“C’mere sugar, we’re gonna be late if you keep this up.” He winks and she laughs some more, before he takes her hand and leads her into the theater, completely ignoring everything around them.

Emmie giddily follows him and places her other hand on his forearm as they walk away from Clint and the car.

Clint is gripping the steering wheel with all his strength as he stares at the open passenger car door, he is so fed up with them already.

Clint groans, “Gaaaahhhhh! C’mon guys! You couldn’t even close the damn door?!” He leans over the middle counsel and the passenger seat to slam the door shut from the inside. He mutters out, “I’m always taking care of everyone else…”

He doesn’t check his side view mirror before he pulls out into the busy street and before he can swerve out of the way, he gets himself into a fender bender. “Fuck me…” He lets his head fall forward as he gives up.

But seeing Emmie light up at the sight of Steve makes him smile. He did a good thing today.

~~

When Steve explains they are seeing the Nutcracker, Emmie jumps with joy she can’t contain her excitement.

He hasn’t ever seen her this happy and it’s contagious. He has to give himself a pat on the back for this because being the cause of her happiness is something that brings him pride. It made him even more proud when she said it was on her bucket list and she had always wanted to see it, as Christmas is her favorite time of the year.

Steve confidently leads Emmie through the theater. He walks at her pace, not wanting to rush her in her heels. It also gives him enough time to admire the beautiful woman on his arm. He wants to soak up any and all moments he has with her, because he’s starting to learn his happiest moments are when he is with his Emmie.

The way she carries herself, with such grace and eloquence, while walking around in awe of everything around her. Giddy with excitement for the ballet ahead of them.

_How did he get so lucky?_

They are led by an usher to their box. Emmie takes in the spacious box with the luxurious and plush chairs, the gold rails, and the velvet carpet. Steve finally breaks their hand hold to turn off their face tech and then to close and lock the door firmly, not wanting any visitors or interruptions. He wants to enjoy this privacy with her. He has gone to so much trouble to set this up and he wants to prove to Emmie why he gets to be in her life.

Steve turns back to Emmie. He sees her slightly overwhelmed by the number of seats in the box, “Pick any seat you want sweetheart. It’s just us two tonight in here.”

She nods, but now he can see a layer of nervousness take over. _When did that happen?_

Emmie sits gingerly on the seat closest to the railing, her hands folded in her lap. Steve tentatively takes the seat next to her and reaches out slowly to grab her hand.

She lets him and he drags her hand up to his lips, where he places a soft kiss to each of her knuckles. Emmie sinks into the touch, and visibly relaxes.

The lights start to blink above, signaling the guests to take their seats, and he can tell he needs to address this before the show starts.

Steve tentatively asks, “What’s wrong sweetheart? Did I do somethin’ wrong? You seemed so excited—”

Emmie jumps in to quiet his worries and finds herself spilling her guts to him in a rushed and hushed voice, “Ohmygosh no no no Steve! I’m beyond excited for tonight. You’ve been a perfect gentleman and the sweetest to me…I-I’m sorry…I’m getting so ahead of myself. I’m just worried that I’m not what you expected…for tonight…” Emmie trails off, looking at the ground, ashamed of voicing her truth. And terrified of what he’ll say back.

The only way Steve can describe his feelings are how crushed he feels. He didn’t realize how deep her insecurities ran. “Now why would you think that doll?”

Emmie looks at him with shiny eyes. There’s just something about Steve that makes her need to tell him every little thought. “Because I wanted to look the part, be the perfect date that you deserve—”

Steve stops her rambling with a firm, yet tender kiss. She melts into him instantly and moans softly.

He rests his forehead against hers as he murmurs to her, “I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you, sweetheart.” He leans his head to the side to kiss her temple.

Steve then pulls away to look deeply into her eyes, “I was scared this wasn’t going to be good enough for _you_ Emmie. I was so nervous. Still am. Just ask the guys. Or Nat.”

That gets her to giggle. But she doesn’t get a chance to respond when the lights finally darken as the show begins, with the instruments filling the theater and the spotlight on stage. Emmie’s smile returns fully as she sits at the edge of her seat, completely engrossed with the graceful dancers on stage, moving rhythmically to the opening notes.

Steve hasn’t once looked at the stage, he can’t take his eyes off his beautiful girl. She is a beaming ray of light and he can’t look away, like he’s drawn to her presence. He grips her hand tightly and rests it in his lap once more. He’s noticed that she likes being touched by him, likes being close and feeling his physical form. And he’s also come to realize he likes it just as much.

They enjoy themselves through the first half of the show. Emmie is captivated by magical ensemble and the ethereal ballerinas. She sways to the music in her seat and she squeezes Steve’s hand from time to time. She tore her eyes away for maybe a second or two to look at him and she gasps softly when she sees he’s already looking at her.

She blushes profusely but reaches up to kiss his cheek. She can’t help herself, him in that suit and the bowtie is doing things to her. She just hopes he doesn’t notice her racing heart and her aching core…

Steve can’t deny his attraction to her and whispers, “Have I told you that you look beautiful tonight?”

“No, if I recall, you said _breathtaking,_ but I like beautiful too.” Emmie sasses back.

At her remark, there’s a sudden shift in Steve’s eyes. His pupils dilate and he shifts his chair closer to hers. His soft smile turns a tad smug and he wraps his right arm around the back of Emmie’s chair and pulls her into his side and kisses her temple with confidence.

Emmie smiles to herself, happy to see Steve wanting to be near her and finding her sass charming.

Emmie turns back to the stage and decides to take a risk. She wants to thank him for giving her this incredible night out, where she was able to dress up to the nines, and have a glamorous holiday night out with her soulmate. She hasn’t ever been on a date like this, but she’s always dreamt of it. _Who doesn’t want to be taken to the ballet during the holidays?_

And because they haven’t been able to take their hands off each other tonight, even if it’s only been very sweet, gentle, caring touches, she’s feeling that fire that was ignited the first time she met her Steve. And the tequila shot Pepper made her take is giving her a little more courage than normal.

She unlocks their fingers and places her hand halfway up his thigh. She rests her palm on his suit clad thigh and starts to flex her fingers up and down along his muscular thigh slowly.

She continues to stare at the stage but hears his breath hitch. He stiffens under the touch slightly, and his touch on her shoulder tightens. But she doesn’t let that stop her ministrations. It’s easy to feel the taut muscles flexing at her touch underneath the thin material, and it gives her the assurance to keep going.

Emmie slides her hand over to the inside of his leg, where her hand fits snuggly between both his thighs. The heat from his body is turning her on even more. She starts to glide her hand up and down the inside of his thigh, and letting her fingers press a little harder into his leg with each movement.

She can’t tell how Steve is reacting besides seeing his left hand gripping the arm rest of his chair with all his might. His knuckles are white so he must be trying to show some restraint. She can also feel his chest stutter against her shoulder, and that small victory gives her the knowledge that she is having an effect on him.

Emmie feels confident with her next move and she moves her hand as high as she can up his inner thigh…until she can feel the zipper of his pants under her touch. But instead of the zipper…she’s met with a hard…thick…long member…that is throbbing under her fingers.

Emmie lets out a shudder breath, she can’t back down now. She steels herself and curls her fingers around his huge cock, as much as they can, and grasps.

Steve lets out a shuddering breath and leans down to her ear, “Sw-sweetheart…I-I-“

“Shhh Steve…does it feel good?” She implores. She hopes he doesn’t hear the tremble in her voice, her anxiety peeking out over not being good enough for him.

“_God yes.”_

“Then let me.” Emmie encourages.

Steve doesn’t respond but nods against her head, so Emmie keeps going. She is soaking in the feeling of being in control and being in control of Steve’s pleasure. This man has turned to soft goo at the touch of her fingers. No man has reacted to her like this and she’s barely touching him.

But the lights come on for intermission. She had completely forgotten they are in a public theater. She stops momentarily but Steve steps in.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. black out box. Keep lights on inside.”

Steve turns to Emmie, breathing heavier than normal, “It’s just us. No one can see or hear. If you don’t want to continue, I understand, but sweetheart…that was…somethin’ else—”

Emmie feels emboldened and leaps out of her chair into his lap. She straddles his narrow hips and lets the skirt of her dress fall to either side of them. Emmie sinks down onto his crotch and the first grind of her hips onto his still hard member causes both of them to release a breathy groan.

Steve throws his head back as Emmie begins moving her hips again. He forgot what foreplay felt like with a woman. And with his soulmate? He doesn’t want it to stop.

His hands clutch to her hips firmly and he helps her move across his hard cock with purpose, each stroke making him lose his composure that much more.

Emmie clamps her arms around his shoulders for support and buries her face into his neck to ground herself in his presence. He’s touching her like a man who has never experienced a woman’s touch, tentative but eager, someone who is desperate for more, wanting to relish in the feeling.

But he isn’t the only one. It’s been _so long_ since she did anything physical with Bucky and she is desperate for some type of release. Desperate to deepen the bond with Steve. Desperate to be touched intimately, like she dreams at night.

His cock is rubbing perfectly along her now damp core. She also forgot what it felt like to have a cock to close to where she wants it most. And she wants _more._

She quickly moves her hands down to his pants, where she starts undoing the zipper and moving the edges of his pants down further. She’s surprised when she isn’t met with resistance but an eager nod from Steve.

He pulls himself together to make sure she wants this. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want sweetheart.”

Emmie smiles sweetly, and moves her hand to cup his cheek while she holds his gaze. “Will you for once let someone else take care of you? Will you let me make you feel good?” She begs tenderly. “Please?”

Steve can’t deny her. He can’t deny her anything. And he can’t lie that he hasn’t imagined her touching him like this, especially in the rare moments when he touches himself.

Steve can’t speak. He just nods and that’s all it takes for Emmie to continue.

She swiftly unbuttons his pants and undoes the zipper. She lowers her hand below his pants but above his boxer briefs and begins to stroke once more. Steve pulls her body even closer to his chest as she grips him tighter in his hand. She works her fingers slowly and smoothly over the fabric, getting to know Steve and what he likes.

But this still isn’t enough. She wants to feel _him._

Emmie doesn’t stop her movements so when her fingers hold Steve’s shaft in her bare hands, they both happily sigh into each other’s necks. She moves her hand from base to tip and uses the leaking precum to lube up her hand, to make it glide over his beautiful cock.

Just by feeling him in her hand, she knows she isn’t going to be able to handle him and it terrifies her, but she needs to focus on his pleasure right now. He definitely needs some release and he deserves it for treating her so well tonight, for doting on her like a princess. He’s been nothing but a gentleman.

Emmie then brings her hand up to her mouth and she licks her fingers, tasting his manhood and moaning at the taste. _She needs more._

Emmie suddenly pushes off his lap and kneels on the ground. She pulls his member all the way out of his pants and huffs out a breath at seeing the size, length, and girth for the first time. Longer than James but just as beautiful. Like James, he will absolutely ruin her.

Before Steve can protest, Emmie ducks her head and licks up his cock from base to tip. She does this a few times and it makes him even longer and harder.

Steve is putty in her hands and he’s collapsing further into his seat. He is a tensive man, trying to hold himself together, as his soulmate begins to suck him.

Emmie swallows him halfway just to gage how far she can still go. She needs to warm up to him, tease him, before she gags on him later when her lips engulf him whole.

Emmie starts to slowly bob her head up and down. With each pull back up, she hallows her cheeks and sucks. She sucks on him slightly harder with each stroke and she can hear Steve falling apart. He’s audibly panting and it’s making her that much more wet.

“_Fuck_, sweetheart, fucckkk—”

Steve groans out and his shoulders tense up when Emmie takes his entire, hard dick in her mouth and she just sits there. She holds him in his mouth, part of him slipping down into her throat.

She only lets go when she feels herself start gag and she lets out a puff of air as she releases him completely. Emmie looks up to Steve from her knees and sees him staring at her with utter wonder and it gives her the power to keep going.

She lowers her head and takes his cock back into her mouth. Her right hand moves to the base of his dick, to the part where her mouth can’t reach, and strokes what her mouth can’t take. This is when she feels Steve’s hands in her hair. All his hands do is massage her head, never pushing or pulling, never guiding her, just letting her know he’s there. And he’s _enjoying it._

Emmie picks up her pace and bobs her head faster as her hand continues to stroke his beautiful hard member. She can feel he’s close, his cock begins to twitch swiftly, and she takes her other hand to softly fondle his balls. And that’s all it takes and Steve is a goner. Without realizing what’s happening, Steve spills his load into Emmie’s mouth and he holds the back of her head down on his cock as he pulses into her mouth.

Part of his cum spills over her mouth but Emmie is able to swallow most of it. She’s _never_ experienced a guy cum that much or that hard. She decides she finds it _really hot._

Emmie finally looks up and Steve is looking at her with admiration, with lust, with…_maybe love?_ She can’t tell, but all she wants is for him to never not look at her like that, to be in his arms, to kiss that smitten smile off his face.

Steve is way ahead of her and yanks Emmie onto his lap. He rips at the waistline on the skirt of her gown so he can have better access to her hips, to her core. He needs _her._

His hands travel to her ass and grip tightly, pulling her flush onto his lap, and Emmie finds his rough touch exhilarating.

Steve uses her backside to lift her up and rub against his hips and the guttural groan he hears makes him instantly hard again.

“Babygirl…I can smell ya and it makes me need ya _so badly_. But not yet. You wanna ride this thigh though?”

Steve has a dark, lustful look in his eyes that has Emmie captivated. She can’t say no to someone who looks like they want to ruin every inch of her.

Steve doesn’t take her silence lightly, he demands again, “Do you. Want. To. Ride. _My. _Thigh?”

Emmie obeys and enthusiastically nods, “Yes, yes please. Yes Captain.” And she says it before she realizes what words are coming out of her mouth.

Steve latches onto her neck and starts biting roughly, then laving his tongue over his bitemark to soothe it over. He does this again and again as he blindly situates Emmie on his thigh with ease, having her legs straddle his muscular one.

Emmie takes it into her own hands and presses her hands into his shoulders as she begins to gyrate her hips against his now flexing thigh. The feel of his muscles moving beneath her now soaked core is invigorating for Emmie. She’s _never_ ridden a thigh, and her first is Captain America’s? _Well fuck._

“That’s it, sweetheart, that’s it.” Steve edges on.

Emmie continues to move back and forth, along the length of his perfect thigh, the feeling of every twitch of muscle going straight to her core. The feeling building deep inside her, wanting a release.

She picks up her pace and rides his thigh harder, needing the release as soon as possible.

Steve leans down to her temple, “C’mon dollface, c’mon, I want you to come for me. Can you do that? I can feel you’re close.”

Emmie nods her head vigorously and she whimpers out, “Mhm.”

“Show me how good you feel sweetheart. Come all over my thigh. I want to feel you come.”

“Yeah…_yeah…please._”

If Emmie can move her hips any faster, she does. She feels him flexing and she shifts her hips to the right just an inch and that’s where she hits _the sweet spot_, right on her clit. _Just a little bit more._

“Almost there…” Emmie whines.

Steve is just as impatient, he takes her hips and helps her move harder along his thigh, slapping her down along the hard ridge of his flexing thigh.

Emmie is panting, begging Steve to come. “Right there, _please.”_

A few more slaps against her clit and she’s gone. “Yessss! _Steve!”_

Emmie doesn't understand what happens next. She just sees a bright light and next thing she knows, Steve is holding her like a porcelain doll. But she does know that she can feel a stronger vibration coming from his mark on her right wrist.

The way his name is coming off her lips almost has him coming right there and he actually might when he feels the rush of her juices spread all along his thigh and pant leg. He can’t resist himself when he reaches his hand down to swipe her wet pussy for her cum because he so desperately wants to taste it.

Emmie shudders against him when he touches her sensitive clit and sensitive folds, but she melts into his hold when he wraps her up tightly against his chest.

He hums against her temple when he tastes her and Emmie giggles. She’s embarrassed but Steve’s moan sounds like he’s enjoying himself so she goes with it.

“Thank you Steve.”

Steve is now cradling her head against his chest, working on calming Emmie down from her explosive high.

He tilts her head up so she can see into his eyes, “You never have to thank me for making you feel good. I will always want to do that.” He finishes by placing a gentle kiss to her nose.

They sit in silence as they bask in each other’s beautiful post orgasm bliss. When Steve asks F.R.I.D.A.Y. to open up the box again so they can see the stage, it seems the second half of the show has already started.

Emmie doesn’t take any notice, she’s too happy and relaxed to be bothered with anything else that isn’t Steve, and his glorious body. She doesn’t even recognize she’s sitting in her own cum and has ruined his suit. If she did, she might not care.

Steve takes notice of this and knows their night is finished. They’ve had an eventful evening. “Can I take you home princess?” He pets her hair smoothly along her head, tucking a few stray pieces behind her ear.

Emmie smiles at him like he’s the only person that matters in this world, “Yes Captain, take me home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know your thoughts!!! :) hope you enjoyed it!


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